Nessebar - a unique city under the protection of UNESCO
The town of Nessebar, which today has about 10,000 inhabitants, is located only 36 km northeast of Bourgas, on a peninsula connected to the coast only by a narrow isthmus. It was founded more than 3,200 years ago. At the end of the Bronze Age it was inhabited by Thracians, and in the VI century BC was conquered by the ancient Greek tribe of Dorians. Under their rule the settlement grew, a fortress wall was built, residential neighborhoods were formed. At the beginning of the 1st century AD the city became part of the Roman Empire and was called Mesembria. During this period the city established itself as an important economic and cultural center, and after the Roman Empire moved its capital to Constantinople and adopted Christianity as the official religion, Christian temples began to be built in Mesembria. The town became part of the First Bulgarian State during the reign of Khan Krum in 812, and the Slavs who settled in it began to call it Nessebar. The city fell under Ottoman rule in 1453.
Nessebar is famous for its churches built in the Middle Ages. On the territory of the Old Town, on an area of less than 3000 square meters, there are seven temples, built within four centuries - between XI and XIV centuries. Two of them - "St. Spas” and “St. Stefan” have been turned into museums. Tourists can learn more about the history and development of the settlement in the Archaeological Museum, where the finds discovered during archeological excavations are stored. Traces of past historical epochs are everywhere, but to this day only the Western fortress wall with the gate, which defended the city from the land, has survived. Most of the houses in the old part of Nessebar are from the Renaissance (XVIII-XIX centuries). In one of them - the house of Moscoyani, is the exposition of the Ethnographic Museum.
Today the old and the new part of the city are separated by a narrow isthmus. In summer it is a favorite place for walks of guests and residents of Nessebar. One of the symbols of the city is the windmill, which is located in the middle of the isthmus. The peninsula on which Old Nessebar is located is included by UNESCO in the List of World Heritage Sites. During the summer, concerts and many other events are organized in the ancient theater of the Old Town. Behind it is located the marine station of Nessebar, where cruise ships can often be seen during the active summer season. If you want to feel the spirit of Old Nessebar, you can stay there - in one of the many family hotels or private accommodation. There are also plenty of restaurants in the area offering excellent seafood.
The new part of Nessebar also offers a variety of accommodation options. There are also the buildings of the administration and other institutions. The northern and southern beaches of Nessebar are located on the side of the new part of town. There is a beach in Old Nessebar, but it is not big. Those looking for more adrenaline and entertainment can take a helicopter tour of Nessebar, and boat trips and various water attractions are available on the beaches. The restaurants in the city are extremely diverse in terms of category and prices.
In the summer there is convenient public transport between Nessebar and the nearby resort of Sunny Beach. There are good transport connections to other nearby resorts - Saint Vlas, Elenite and Ravda.
