If you haven’t visited them yet, Sozopol and Nesebar are two Bulgarian seaside resorts you shouldn’t miss during a vacation. I visited them on a trip to the Burgas region and found out what to do and see in Sozopol and Nesebar within a few hours. Because you don’t need much more time, although you can even set yourself a holiday of a few days, with accommodation within the two towns that each occupy two small peninsulas stretching into the Black Sea.
As for the question – which one to choose: Sozopol or Nesebar, my answer is only one – visit them both, then draw your conclusions about which you liked better. Because, although seemingly similar, Sozopol and Nesebar have their own characteristics, their own sights and attractions, and undoubtedly their own charm. But… let’s take them one by one, from north to south.
- What to do and what to see in Nesebar. Tourist attractions in Nesebar
- Map with the best tourist attractions in Nesebar (zoom in for details)
- Stroll through the streets of old Nesebar
- Sit on the beach in old Nesebar
- Refresh yourself with ice cream and give one to your furry friend
- Go shopping in Nessebar
- Pray in the churches of Nesebar
- Visit the Archaeological Museum in Nesebar
- What to do and see in Sozopol. Tourist attractions in Sozopol
What to do and what to see in Nesebar. Tourist attractions in Nesebar
Want a holiday in Nesebar? Here are the best hotels in Nesebar.
Map with the best tourist attractions in Nesebar (zoom in for details)
I have always said, with some hesitation, that the Bulgarian coast is more beautiful than ours because it has a more varied and spectacular landscape. In addition, it also has a richer history, which Bulgarians very well exploit. The first one I tell about is Nesebar (or Nessebar, as some places still spell it), one of the most beautiful places on the shores of the Black Sea.
Situated near the famous Sunny Beach resort, 33 km north of Burgas, 150 km south of Varna, and 348 km from Bucharest, Nesebar is a town divided in two: Old Nesebar occupies a peninsula that cuts across the Black Sea, connected to New Nesebar by a narrow isthmus. In this context, Nesebar, which many rightly call the ‘pearl of the Black Sea, is a town with a history dating back to the 6th century BC, which is why it has been on the UNESCO heritage list (since 1983!). Of course, the main attraction is the old town, which you won’t be able to enter by car, which you’ll have to leave in the car park at the entrance to continue your exploration on foot, having first passed the old windmill, which has been around since the 19th century.
Old Nesebar is by no means a large town, so you can explore it all in a few hours, giving you time to eat on a terrace overlooking the sea or relax over a coffee or a pint of beer. The town is an open-air museum, enthusiastically displaying its valuable heritage, from the traditional wooden houses to the beautiful (and numerous) churches. Here’s what to see and do in Nesebar and what the main sights here would be.
First, a bit of history to understand why Nesebar is such an important town. At the dawn of the Bronze Age, the Thracians settled here, calling their settlement Melsambria (after Melsas, the founder’s name). They were followed by the Dorians, who expanded the plans, building a fortification wall, after which the town came under the occupation of the Roman Empire, was renamed Mesembria, and became an important economic and cultural center. In 812, Mesembria became part of the First Bulgarian Empire, and the Slavs changed its name to Nesebar. Nesebar flourished during the reign of Tsar Ivan Alexander (1331-1371), when several churches were built, and it developed enormously culturally and economically but was then conquered by the Ottomans in 1453. Many houses in the old town were built during the Bulgarian Renaissance period (18th-19th centuries), one of the most representative being the Moskoyani House, where the Ethnographic Museum of Nesebar is located today.
Stroll through the streets of old Nesebar
This is the best thing you can do in Nesebar: take the small peninsula for a walk and explore it. You’ll get from one end to the other quickly, and it’s up to you to make your route. You can wander around the center or just as easily take the seafront (on the Promenade), skirting the peninsula from side to side. Either way, the walk is a delight: the cobbled streets of Nesebar take you past the old houses I mentioned above, and attractions are practically everywhere. One of these is the Basilica of Our Lady Eleusa, or what’s left of it anyway, along with the old mill.
This church in the northern part of the peninsula was built in the 6th century, attested sometime in the 14th century, and destroyed by an earthquake at an unknown date. Its north side and the nave sank into the sea, as excavations in the 1920s revealed. Today the basilica has been partially restored.
Sit on the beach in old Nesebar
If you can’t get enough of the beach, Old Nesebar also offers this activity: you’ll find a nice beach at the opposite end of the entrance. It’s a pebbly beach, quite small but chic and organized with sun loungers and parasols. I didn’t test the seawater there, but it seemed calm and not very deep at the shore.
Refresh yourself with ice cream and give one to your furry friend
Right at the entrance to the old Nesebar is an ice cream shop where you can find a variety of ice creams, each tastier than the last. I was pleased to get my favorite mango ice cream, but the most interesting thing is something else: Ice Cream Saloon Clio is the ice cream parlor where you can find ice cream specially made for dogs. So, if you’re visiting the Nesebar with your , bring him here for a dollop of delicious ice cream, after which he’ll be licking his snout.
Go shopping in Nessebar
One of the enjoyable and relaxing activities you can do is to pop into the art shops and gawk at items made by local artisans. You’ll discover that some are not only very interesting but also unique, with a special design, only good to take home as souvenirs or to give as gifts to your loved ones. Plus, let’s not forget that Bulgaria is the largest producer of rose oil, so the range of rose petal products is everywhere. And despite the jokes on the subject, some cosmetics are even of excellent quality.
Pray in the churches of Nesebar
There are no less than 40 churches in Nesebar, most of the beautiful and interesting ones being in the old part of the town. Although Nesebar was under Ottoman occupation between the 15th and 19th centuries, all the churches remained Orthodox. So today you can visit and enjoy real gems, such as the Church of St Sophia or the Old Bishopric, the Church of St John the Baptist, or the Church of St Theodore.
For example, although it’s an open-air ruin, the Church of St Sophia is impressive – positioned right in the center of the old town, it dates back to the 9th century, the arched pillars giving you an idea of what it originally looked like.
On the other hand, St Stephen’s Church, known as the New Bishopric, was built in the 11th-13th centuries, and its interior looks much the same as it did in the 16th century, with the original paintings well preserved. According to the Gospel writings, there are 258 murals here and over a thousand characters, including scenes from the Miracles of Christ.
Visit the Archaeological Museum in Nesebar
Passionate about history? Then you must cross the threshold of the Museum of Archaeology, which opened in 1956. In the main hall, plus the museum’s four exhibition halls, you’ll find an important collection of artifacts from various periods of the town’s 3,000-year history, covering no less than six distinct cultures: Eneolithic, Thracian, Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Bulgarian.
A permanent exhibition entitled ‘Nesebar through the Centuries’ takes you step by step through the story of the town’s place at the crossroads of civilizations. The exhibition features exquisite gold jewelry, imposing marble reliefs, fine ceramics, and other splendid art pieces.
These are just some of the things you can see and do in Nesebar, at least… the ones I did in the few hours I spent here. As you stay longer, however, you’ll fall in love with Nesebar’s undeniable charm and want to return to delve deeper and learn its secrets.
What to do and see in Sozopol. Tourist attractions in Sozopol
Map of the best tourist attractions in Sozopol (zoom in for details)
Want a holiday in Sozopol? Here are the best hotels in Sozopol
While I previously had the opportunity to go to Nesebar, visiting Sozopol was a first. Sozopol lies 33km south of Burgas, is divided into the Old Town and the New Town, stretches over the same type of peninsula as Nesebar, only slightly larger, and can boast that it was the first settlement founded by people from the Black Sea coast – Apollonia Pontica.
Moreover, archaeological excavations have revealed a cultural history dating back more than 7000 years. The first settlement appeared on these sites in the Neolithic period. In 610 BC, the inhabitants of Miletus, a city in Asia Minor, founded a city-state that they named Apollonia and grew rapidly. Ancient writers described the Temple of Apollo the Healer in Apollonia as a colossal building that housed a statue of the sun god that stood 13 meters high. It was taken to Rome as spoils of war after the Romans conquered the city.
Sozopol first became part of Bulgaria after it was occupied by Han Krum’s army in 812. The town was rebuilt in the 1st century, and after Christianity was adopted as the official religion, Apollonia was renamed Sozopolis. In the 5th century, the town was fortified with new defensive walls, the remains of which can still be seen today in the south-eastern end. More than 20 Orthodox churches and 5 monasteries were built afterward, and for this reason, the places of worship are still highly prized in Sozopol today. You’ll see below why.
So here’s what to do and see in Sozopol, namely what are the most beautiful sights in Sozopol, which I touched on a short two-hour walking tour of the old town. It has to be said that the old town of Sozopol has a romantic atmosphere; the streets are narrow and cobbled, the old wooden houses have the same charm as the ones in Nesebar, and the walk along the seaside past the old city walls is, it seems, more “wild” and magnetic. And, just like in Nesebar, you’re not allowed to drive in here and, after all, you wouldn’t have to.
Visit the Museum of Ethnography in Sozopol
Perhaps it doesn’t sound very appealing at first glance, and I wasn’t even planning to cross its threshold. But I stepped inside the Museum of Ethnography in Sozopol and was fascinated by what I saw.
First and foremost is the building that houses it – the Kurtidi House, a 19th-century architectural monument, a house restored to its authentic appearance, from where you have spectacular views of Sozopol bay. The house has two floors. At the entrance, a guide will give you a tour that takes no more than 20 minutes.
The first floor is reserved for traditional local crafts, focusing on fishing gear and accessories, while the second floor is for traditional fabrics and clothing, characteristic of the various ethnographic groups of the Sozopol area and the coastal Strandzha region. Here you see old jewelry – buckles, bracelets, rings, and earrings, but what particularly caught my eye is a map of folk costumes from each region of Bulgaria.
Pray at the relics of St John the Baptist in St George’s Church
I don’t know much about church stuff, but I do know that religious tourism is an important niche, which is why I think the main tourist attraction in this regard in Sozopol is the relics of St. John the Baptist in St. George’s Church. The relics were discovered in 2010 by a team of archaeologists excavating on the island of St. Ivan near Sozopol.
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church believes the relics are authentic and recognized. They are fragments of bone from the arm and leg of the saint, beautifully placed in a silver casket. Although we arrived at St. George’s church just after closing time, we were kindly welcomed by the priest who opened it, allowing the group of Romanians to see these relics, which are said to be miracle workers, in person. It seems that they will be moved to the new Cathedral of St. Cyril and Methodius (3 minutes away), which has just been completed and which the same priest did us the honor of visiting for the first time admiring its interior paintings, particularly beautiful.
Take a walk along the southern walls
A walk along the narrow cliff that runs along the town’s southern walls can turn into the most enjoyable activity in Sozopol. And although I didn’t do it in the evening, but during the day, I have a feeling that after sunset this walk becomes even more enjoyable. Plus, you can always stop at one of the waterside restaurant terraces for a hearty dinner.
Note that the southern part of the fortress wall (which once surrounded the whole town) has been rebuilt, giving Sozopol back some of its medieval charm and spirit of the old town.
Sunbathe in Sozopol
Surprisingly, Sozopol is home to one of the best beaches in Bulgaria. The Central Beach has fine sand and is well laid out, with sun loungers and umbrellas for hire. Sometimes it might seem quite crowded, but the alternative is nearby Harmanite beach, which is quite wide and offers many facilities.
Enrich your knowledge at the Museum of Archaeology in Sozopol
To keep the similarities with Nesebar going, there’s also an Archaeology Museum in Sozopol. It’s a small museum with a collection of well-preserved artifacts from various periods, starting from the 4th century BC, revealing links to the ancient Greeks. It was opened in 1961 and ranked eighth in Bulgaria’s top 100 tourist sites.
The multi-room exhibition includes more than a thousand exhibits, and remarkably the museum has the richest collection of ancient Greek vases in Bulgaria. In addition, there are collections of anchors, stone and lead stocks, and ancient and medieval amphorae. A place for history lovers and those eager to learn about past ages.
After my two visits, I’ll keep to myself which is my favorite town: Nesebar or Sozopol. That’s precisely so as not to influence your decision and make you visit both. The distance between them is 62 km, you can basically do them both in one day, but I recommend reserving at least one day for each. You have plenty to do and see in Nesebar and Sozopol; you have enough sights in the two Bulgarian “stars”, so you should have time to see them at… leisure.
You may also like: Places in Greece to combine a mountain and a seaside holiday
