Euxinograd, eight kilometres north of Varna along the Black Sea coast, was the summer residence of Bulgaria's post-Liberation monarchs — Alexander of Battenberg, Ferdinand, and Boris III. The palace is modelled on an 18th-century French château, complete with mansard roof, clock tower, and interiors furnished in mahogany and walnut. Look out for the chandelier gifted by the House of Bourbon and the sundial sent by Queen Victoria. The estate's winery, established in 1891, still produces well-regarded white wines and a French-style brandy called Euxignac, and the cellars hold bottles going back to 1904. Tours run three times daily but must be booked in advance by email. The limited access is precisely why the place feels so well preserved.

Housed in a romantic Italian-built villa from 1890, the Naval Museum traces Bulgarian maritime history from the earliest Black Sea navigators of the 6th century BCE through to the Second World War and beyond. Inside, twelve halls across two floors cover naval battles, ship models, uniforms, navigational instruments, and lighthouse optics. The undisputed highlight is the Druzki, a torpedo boat that sank a Turkish cruiser during the First Balkan War of 1912. You can pay a small supplement to board it. In the grounds you'll find anchors, artillery, a submarine, and a helicopter slowly weathering the sea air.

Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur who helped revive Thailand’s silk industry in the 1950s and 60s. His home, a cluster of traditional teak houses moved from around the country and reassembled here, is now a museum filled with his collection of Asian art, antiques, and textiles. The guided tour is the only way to see inside, and it’s worth it for the stories about Thompson’s life and mysterious disappearance in 1967, which still hasn’t been solved. The garden café and small silk shop round out your visit.