Kaliakra was once the fortified capital of Despot Dobrotitsa, a 14th-century Bulgarian ruler whose territory gave Dobruja its modern name. The ruins of his stronghold sit on the narrow neck of the headland — a defensive wall, the foundations of a palace, baths, churches, and water cisterns cut into the rock.
The site is partly excavated and partly still being explored. Information boards along the path explain the layout. A small museum carved into the cliffside displays artefacts from the digs: pottery, jewellery, weapons, and Byzantine coins.