Kamen Bryag Voyage Tips and guide

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Kamen Bryag (Камен бряг, lit. "Stone Coast") is a small village on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. Its remote cliffs made it attractive to Bulgarian counter-culture and the more adventurous kind of tourists; since the 2010s, this has turned into more organized concerts/festivals.

Kamen Bryag is 31 km (19 mi) south of the border with Romania (at Vama Veche), 17 km (11 mi) north-east of the municipal centre Kavarna, and 8 km (5.0 mi) south-east of Shabla, the nearest town. The nearest large cities - Dobrich and larger Varna - are both about 60 km (37 mi) away "as the crow flies", but the distance is longer by road.

Kamen Bryag has a permanent population of 57 people (2021). Administratively, it's part of Kavarna Municipality in Dobrich Province. The village's neighbors along the coast are the fishing village Tyulenovo to the north and a small resort named Rusalka to the south, both about 5 km (3.1 mi) distant.

You can take an intercity bus if you are traveling from Sofia. There are two direct buses to Kavarna in the morning and in the evening from the Central Bus Station [1] ^{[formerly dead link]} in Sofia operated by Etap-Adress [2] ^{[dead link]}, and number of buses to Varna.

If you traveling from Kavarna, you only need to take the bus (van) to Kamen Bryag from the bus station, traveling at 07:05 and 15:45 to the village and back. If you are traveling from Varna, you will need to take transport to Kavarna first from the Central Bus Station in Varna. Direct transport is available hourly.

If you travel from Varna keep driving on E72 road and take the exit to Kavarna. At the end of the town again take the right exit to Balgarevo and Russalka. If you travel to Varna from Constanta, Romania keep at E72 road and take the exit in Shabla to Shabla lighthouse and Tiulenovo. Gas stations are available in Kavarna, Balgarevo and Shabla.

Kamen Bryag is a small village and public transport is available only to the bigger town of Kavarna - 18 km away.

Walking is pleasant way to get to the beaches that are only 15-20 minutes away from the center of the village.

Cycling is another reasonable option. By bike you can easily get to the nearby villages of Tiulenovo (5 km), Sveti Nikola (5 km) and Russalka summer resort (8 km).

People mainly come to Kamen Bryag to enjoy nature and music events (or rock climbing), so there are few sights as such.

• Ogancheto (The Little Fire) - exploratory drilling discovered a small deposit of natural gas, but it was too small to tap. The abandoned borehole was set on fire, producing a flame the size of a campfire. As of the 2020s, the flame is surrounded by a structure of piled-up stones.
• Monument to John Lawton - Erected in 2022, a life-size "bench monument" of Lawton looking at the sea. John Lawton (1946-2021) was the lead singer of Uriah Heep between 1976 and 1979. He had performed "July Morning" at Kamen Bryag every year for a few years before his death, and his ashes were scattered on the village's coast.
• Lookout tower - An abandoned 15 m (49 ft) skeletal metal tower, originally erected in 1967 as the base of the Kamen Bryag navigation light (now defunct). A few flights of metal stairs/ladders lead to the small deck at the top, but it's definitely only for adventurous tourists.
• Astronomical Observatory - small observatory with a ground-level plastic dome, operated by the Kavarna Museum. Allegedly they organize observations open to the public when the weather allows and there are events to see.
• Sts. Constantine and Helena Chapel - the village "church", opened 2004. The principal icons are made of ceramics, created by the artist Atanas Gadzhev.

Yailata National Nature Archaeological Reserve is 1.5 km south of the village. Although Yailata is a bit far from the most popular resorts and hence is little known as a tourist attraction, it is one of the most amazing places along the Bulgarian coast. The big cliffs make this area almost inaccessible, except via a few narrow paths among the rocks. The fields there end abruptly with high rocks descending straight to the sea level. About 40 caves can be found in the vertical cliffs hanging over the sea. Their smoothened walls and niches dug deeply into the rock, proving the existence of an ancient cave settlement there. Most of the caves can be reached only by professional speleologists. There are also remains of stronghold dating back to Roman and Byzantine times.

Kamen Bryag is a popular destination for the celebration of July Morning rock festival. In Bulgaria, there is a tradition called July Morning (Bulgarian: Джулая or Джулай, Julaya or July) as an echo from the hippy era in the 1980s and maybe as far back as the 1970s. Young (and not so young) people from all over the country travel (often hitchhike) to the Black Sea coast on the night of June 30 to meet the first sun rays on the 1 July. Naturally, British rock band Uriah Heep's 1971 hit "July Morning" is the main refrain.

On special occasions folklore concerts are also organized by the village administration with the participation of local folk ensemble Kamenbryazhkite babi (Каменбряжките баби - The Kamen Bryag Grannies).

Kamen Bryag is the biggest Deep Water Solo (DWS) climbing site in Bulgaria according to ClimbingGuideBg.com.

In the local administrative center souvenirs, professional pictures and guides are offered at reasonable prices.

Due to the small size of the village, some hotels may often function as bars and restaurants too.

• 43.5485728.53191 Restaurant Podkova, 64 Dobrudja, Shabla. Fish and lots of delicious homemade dishes here, and a friendly cat. (updated Feb 2021)
• 43.5430128.543112 Механа „Герана“, Neftyanik Street, Shabla. Down-home Bulgarian cuisine. (updated Feb 2021)
• 43.4949428.584863 Tyulenovo Bar & Restaurant (Тюленово бар и ресторант), 9684 Tyulenovo, ☏ +359 57 434 280. Caviar and bluefish and soup and other dainties. But the best part may be the magnificent view of the sea. (All with a bit of a commensurate price). (updated Feb 2021)

Accommodation is easy to find in the village. Many houses offer rooms at different price depending on the facilities. Some two star hotels and guest-houses are the probably best option with good balance between price and comfort.

Detailed information on other available rooms in the village can be found in the local administrative center.

• Villa Yaila (Вила Яйла), 4, 2nd Str., Kamen Bryag, [email protected]. A complex of two guest-houses on the way to Yailata Reserve, offering two-star hospitality. The villas are brand new, arranged with new classic style wooden furniture. Kitchens. Large barbecue. TV in each room with Bulgarian and Romanian channels. The terraces in the main building offer nice panoramic view. 
• Old Bakehouse GuestHouse, Kamen Bryag Village. Private buildings to rent from one night to four weeks. 

Be careful when walking near the dangerous vertical cliffs! Always keep a safe distance, particularly at night. Don't stray off the designated tracks and lookouts.

• Local Administrative Center (Mrs. Dobrinka Yalnazova - deputy mayor), 2, 16th. Str., Kamen Bryag, [email protected]. 09:00-17:00. 

Routes through Kamen Bryag

Vama Veche ← Durankulak/Vama Veche ←

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→ Balchik → Varna