Today I'm going to show you a beautiful place (if not exactly beautiful, then at least interesting).
So, let's start today's tour through...
... a castle's property?
No, of course that's not a castle in the sense we put into this word and which is ingrained in our consciousness.
Although it looks like that.
That's a hotel on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Part of a 5-star hotel.
That's Villa Chinka by Astor Garden Hotel.
A hotel whose architecture is said to be reminiscent of a medieval fortress. In fact, only part of this architecture, probably. Because you saw its facade in general and these glasses, these arches and terraces can not be part of a medieval fortress.
But these towers... keep or donjon...? Well, here are certainly just towers.
The corbels, the blind windows, the forms of the windows and their decorations...
...it probably could be said that this building looks like a fortress. (The last photos are from the back of the building, which overlooks the street that runs past the building, while the first photo I showed you is the facade facing the sea.)
... or some mixture of fortress and church, because this part here looks like a cathedral wall to me.
But OMG, look at this here:
it is again from the facade side.
I've seen such watchtowers so far in Malta, Spain and Portugal. On fortifications along the sea coast again, of course.
But ancient fortifications. Not such clean, new, modern, shiny constructions.
(This entrance-tower is conveniently leading to the pier over the sea and gives an amazing view to the whole property.)
I was amazed by everything I saw here, but these cannons amazed me the most. I was like "What the...?, What is that? Why is this here, for God's sake!..."... literally.
Then I remembered the towers, all the towers of this building and only then did I realize that this building mimics a fortress, and a fortress is made for protection and needs cannon.
But I think it was these cannons that crossed the line of my perceptions.
There is a lot to be said about the construction in the seaside resorts of Bulgaria, and in the country itself in general. And whatever is said will not be enough.
I see more and more buildings with the appearance and shape of castles, and the coast is occupied and blocked by huge and expensive complexes, the grandeur of whose architecture can not be described.
But let's go back to the current object.
I searched the internet for a long time to find: first, the name of this hotel. I know where it is located, because I have been there personally, taking these pictures, and even very recently, but there is no building in this place there on Google Maps. There is a forest there and parts of construction that didn't look like this building to me. So I thought it was built very recently and Google Maps didn't have time to update.
However, later, when I found out that it was Villa Chinka, I read the information that construction began in 2018 and ended in June 2019. (So, quite a short time for such a spectacular project, don't you think?)
But despite its pretentious appearance (let me not use another word), I would say that here too, both in the overall design and in the individual additions, as well as the furniture of the restaurant, placed outside, attention is paid to detail. It can be seen, felt. In the decorations of the windows facing the street, for example, in the decoration of the towers, in the individual sculptures.
I'm not sure if the restaurants on the beach next to the hotel building are owned by the same owner, but it seems to be the case since the style is similar.
Because, see this tower over there. Is definitely part of the hotel design.
Besides, have you seen a beach shower looking like that - like angel wings?
Because I haven't and I definitely like it 😊
But what I wanted to say above is that despite its cluttered appearance, in fact nothing is in excess and cluttered when you look at the details.
Everything is decorated with measure. And the same goes for the hotel rooms, photos of which I was able to find on their website.
Thus, visiting this place leaves mixed feelings. I guess mostly only in one local person.
I guess there are also local people, I mean Bulgarians, who can afford to pay 500 euros per night in one room or over 1000 euros per night in the presidential apartment (as is its price in the peak season). In fact, one cannot simply pay some 500 euros or some 1000 euros, as there is a requirement for at least 5 days stay. 😁
But I think that if a Bulgarian could afford to give these incredible sums, he would not spend them on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. No matter what the architecture of the building. No matter what ancient building the hotel tries to imitate in a modern way. Regardless of the polished towers, watchtowers and cannons. Because we all know the situation on this Black Sea coast as a place for vacation.
And hey, I've happened to spend the night in real, authentic, old palaces in Italy for 80 euros a night!!!
And you? Would you?
Copyright: @soulsdetour
 | Soul's Detour is a project started by me years ago when I had a blog about historical and not so popular tourist destinations in Eastern Belgium, West Germany and Luxembourg. Nowadays, this blog no longer exists, but I'm still here - passionate about architecture, art and mysteries and eager to share my discoveries and point of view with you. |