Mothers wheeling babies in gleaming new pushchairs crowd the pedestrian concourse overlooking the Black Sea in central Varna, Bulgaria’s most flourishing port. Toddlers in sun hats and perched precariously on park benches eat ice cream.

Unlike other cities, Varna has escaped Bulgaria’s demographic problems – a low birth rate, an ageing workforce and high emigration – according to Kiril Yordanov, the mayor. Young people are flocking in, lured by jobs in retailing, tourism and a café lifestyle that compares, at least in the summer months, with that of Spain or Greece.