Located 46 mi/75 km inland of Varna, Pliska was one of the capitals of the first Bulgarian kingdom (AD 681-1018). If you're traveling between Sofia and Varna, or spending an extended amount of time in Varna, plan to spend a few hours looking at Pliska's forts, statues of famous Bulgarian historic figures and the historical museum.
Related sights are at nearby Veliki Preslav, 28 mi/45 km south of Pliska. Secondly, between Pliska and Shoumen is a turnoff for Madara, 7 mi/11 km south of Pliska: On the face of a rock wall is the Madara Horseman, a bas-relief cut into the rock in the eighth century—it's very eroded, so you'll need to use your imagination to see it.
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