Sights in Black Sea Coast
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Burgas Beach
Although it can't compare with the far superior beaches at the nearby resorts, or even with Varna's urban stretch of sand, Burgas Beach still attracts plenty of locals on a hot summer day. It's a bit grubby at the southern end, with its long concrete pier, used as a diving platform by teenage boys and a fishing station by old men, but further on there are some smart beach bars and a couple of restaurants, and, in summer, the beach is kept clean by regular sweepers and watched over by lifeguards.
There are often high winds and high waves along this coast: not great for swimming, but OK for windsurfers. Boards may be rented from the Morski Klub at the northern end of the be…
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History Museum
Watching over the ruins of the Roman baths, Varna’s ivy-covered History Museum is itself an intriguing part of the city’s history. Built in 1851 as the Belgian Embassy, it subsequently became a hotel, a prison and, under the communists, a Museum of the Revolution, before taking on its present role in 1990. Displays on the ground floor include photographs of the city from the 1920s, while the basement holds an exhibition on local trades and handicrafts such as printing, weaving and brewing. More imagination has gone into the replicas of long-gone 1920s and ’30s shops and offices on the 1st floor, including ‘Uncle Mityu’s Café’, a hat shop, toy shop and lawyer’s office. T…
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South Beach
There are a few scrappy beaches around the coast of the old town which are popular with some locals and visitors, but they're small and rocky and the water is often choked with seaweed. Around 1.5km west of the old town is South Beach, a long and well managed stretch of sand which has seen some major developments over the last few years. All the usual water sports are available, including jet-skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing and pedalos. The beach is lined with several giant hotel complexes, although the officially protected sand dunes at the far end should, hopefully, prevent further construction.
The beach is lined with several giant hotel complexes, although the offic…
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Jet-Skiing
There are a few scrappy beaches around the coast of the old town, which are popular with some locals and visitors, but they’re small and rocky and the water is often choked with seaweed. Around 1.5km west of the old town is South Beach, a long and well managed stretch of sand that has seen some major developments over the last few years. All the usual water sports are available, including jet-skiing. The beach is lined with several giant hotel complexes, although the officially protected sand dunes at the far end should, hopefully, prevent further construction. The longer sandy shores of Sunny Beach (Slânchev Bryag), just a few kilometres up the coast, are an alternativ…
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Warship Druzki
Embedded in concrete outside the museum entrance is the warship Druzki, which torpedoed a Turkish cruiser during the First Balkan War in 1912. It’s possible to clamber around this revered relic (ask the museum staff to open the gate). Inside the musty museum building itself is a collection of uniforms, model ships, naval insignia and displays on the Druzki, including an enormous torpedo, although there’s little labelling in English. Anchors, artillery and helicopters can be seen rusting quietly in the grounds, while encased in glass is the yacht Cor Coroli, in which Georgi Georgiev became the first Bulgarian to sail single-handed around the world, in 1977.
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Sveti Stefan Church
Sveti Stefan Church is the best preserved in town, originally built in the 11th century and reconstructed 500 years later. It’s a relatively large, three-nave basilica, renowned for its rare and impressive murals dating from between the 16th and 18th centuries, which cover virtually the entire interior. The Byzantine-style paintings depict scenes from the life of the Virgin as well as numerous saints, and restoration is ongoing. Also of note are the elaborate 16th-century iconostasis and the gilded 18th-century pulpit. Try to come early, as the church sees a rapid succession of large, multilingual guided tour groups throughout the day in summer.
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St John Aliturgetos Church
Nesebâr was once home to about 80 churches and chapels, but most are now in ruins. Characteristic of the Nesebâr style of church design are the horizontal strips of white stone and red brick, which are offset by striped blind arches resting on the vertical pilasters, the façades decorated with green ceramic discs.
Probably the most beautiful church in old Nesebâr was the St John Aliturgetos Church , accessible down some steps from the end of ul Ribarska. Built in about the mid-14th century and dedicated to St John the Unbeliever, the church was mostly destroyed by an earthquake in 1913. Concerts are sometimes held here in summer.
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Sveta Sofia Church
No visitor can help but be impressed by the ruins of the Sveta Sofia Church, also known as the Old Metropolitan Church. Dating as far back as the 5th century, this vast, three-nave basilica was rebuilt in the 9th century as part of a huge complex that encompassed the Bishop’s palace. It remained Nesebâr’s chief ecclesiastical centre until about 1257, when the church was ransacked by the Venetians. It contained three naves and boasted a spacious interior with high walls and wide windows. Today the ruins form the centrepiece of a busy plaza surrounded by cafés and artists’ street stalls.
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Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum has a fair collection of Hellenistic and Roman-era tombstones on the ground floor, as well as an unusual triple-image statuette of Hecate, goddess of witchcraft and fertility, from the 2nd century BC. Other exhibits include Greek pottery, Thracian gold jewellery and ancient anchors, while Hellenistic humour is on show on a bronze jug depicting Dionysus, god of wine, supporting a sozzled Silenus, god of drunkenness. The basement holds a collection of religious icons recovered from Nesebâr’s numerous churches, including a 13th-century image of the Virgin.
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Beach
Steps from Primorski Park lead down to the city's long, sandy beach, which is hugely popular with local sunbathers, paddlers and beach volleyball players. There are also a couple of tiny, outdoor, steaming mineral-water pools, more popular with rheumatic pensioners. The main attraction, though, is the long coastal lane, officially known as aleya Georgi Georgiev but more commonly referred to either as Plazhna aleya or Kraybrezhna aleya.
Some of the trendiest bars are found here, although most only have a brief existence in the summer sunshine and many change names from one year to the next.
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Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin
Standing a block north of pl Nezavisimost, this large cathedral was built between 1880 and 1886 by the architect Gencho Kunev, in celebration of the country’s recent independence from Ottoman rule. Topped with golden onion domes, which alleviate the sombre, blocky appearance of its main body, the church is a much-cherished symbol of the city, second in size only to the Aleksander Nevski Memorial Church in Sofia. Note the murals (painted in 1950), colourful stained-glass windows and intricately carved bishop’s throne.
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Maritime Park
Stretching lazily along the Black Sea coast, this grassy haven - filled with manicured flowerbeds, fountains, busts of Bulgarian worthies, abstract sculptures and plenty of cafés - is the pride of Burgas. At the end of bul Aleko Bogoridi, it's a relaxing place to wander on a warm summer evening and is popular with everyone from bench-warming pensioners to promenading teenagers and young families.
There are some spectacular views over the sea from the terraces, and steps lead down from here towards the beach.
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Museum
Housed in a scruffy concrete building on a lane running down to the port, this museum is a little disappointing given Sozopol’s long and rich history, but the artefacts and dry English texts at least give you some insight into the town’s past. Anchors, amphorae and pottery take up most of the space, including some painted 5th-century-BC vases, tableware imported from Greece and terracotta figurines of actors unearthed at the Apollonia necropolis, on Harmanite Beach.
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Archaeological Museum
Burgas’ small Archaeological Museum houses a collection of local finds ranging from the Stone Age up to the Roman era. Artefacts on show include Neolithic flint tools, a wooden canoe from the 5th century BC, Thracian jewellery and the remarkably well preserved wooden coffin of a Thracian chieftain. A separate room displays recently unearthed discoveries from a Neolithic site and a Roman necropolis outside the city, including pottery, clay idols and silver jewellery.
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Archaeological Museum
Housed in a scruffy concrete building on a lane running down to the port, the Archaeological Museum is a little disappointing given Sozopol's long and rich history, but the artefacts and dry English texts at least give you some insight into the town's past. Anchors, amphorae and pottery take up most of the space, including some painted 5th-century-BC vases, tableware imported from Greece and terracotta figurines of actors unearthed at the Apollonia necropolis, on Harmanite Beach.
reviewed
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Church
This tiny church is just off Post Office Lane. It was built below street level in the style demanded by the Ottoman rulers during the early 18th century. The church was destroyed not long after but was rebuilt in 1912. More information about the church and the general development of Sveti Konstantin is featured in a small but fascinating display (with explanations in English) on the ground floor of the International House of Scientists Frederic Joliot-Curie.
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Natural Science Museum
The Natural Science Museum presents a series of old-fashioned – but still informative – displays on local flora, fauna and geology. Exhibits of rocks, seashells, butterflies and beetles occupy the ground floor, while the basement holds mineral samples from around Bulgaria and the rest of the world. Upstairs there’s a collection of stuffed birds and animals from the locality, including rarer species such as the squacco heron and ferruginous duck.
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Sv Konstantin & Sv Elena Monastery
The tiny Sv Konstantin & Sv Elena Monastery was built below street level in the style demanded by the Ottoman rulers during the early 18th century. The church was destroyed not long after but was rebuilt in 1912. More information about the church and the general development of Sveti Konstantin is featured in a small but fascinating display (with explanations in English) on the ground floor of the International House of Scientists Frederic Joliot-Curie.
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Ethnographical Complex
The Ethnographical Complex, also known as the Bulgarian National Revival Compound, houses dry displays on publishing, literature and education, along with a restored 19th-century schoolroom and a church, originally built in 1866. From the bus station, walk north on ul Cherno More for 20 minutes and look out for the clock tower in the grounds. If you’re near the port, take a taxi (about 2.50 lv) because it’s a very steep walk.
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Primorski Park
Established in 1878, this large and attractive green space overlooking the sea stretches for about 8km, and is said to be the largest of its kind in Europe. It's full of promenading families and old ladies knitting lace in summer, and there's always something going on.
There are also several cafés near the entrance to the Aquarium and around the Summer Theatre.
Steps from park lead down to the city's long, sandy beach.
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Byzantine Baths Complex
Below present ground level just behind the Church of Sveti Spas are the partly excavated remains of this once huge 6th-century Byzantine Baths Complex. Though not much to look at now, in its day this was one of the region's biggest and best spas, renowned for its curative waters; allegedly the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IV dropped by and 'cured his legs' here in 680. The baths were destroyed during Khan Krum's invasion in 812 AD.
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Roman Baths
The ruins described previously are termed the Roman thermae (Latin for ‘baths’) to distinguish them from the Roman Baths, another, much smaller ablutions complex, built around the 4th century AD. There’s nothing much to see other than some foundation walls, and no explanations are posted on the litter-filled site. The grounds are closed, but you can lean over the fence for a quick look.
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Church of Sveta Bogoroditsa
Standing on the ruins of an earlier church, the 15th-century Church of Sveta Bogoroditsa was built below street level, as was required at the time by the Ottoman rulers, and the modest wooden building, set on a courtyard with a giant fig tree, is one of the most picturesque in town. The church contains an exquisite wooden iconostasis, a pulpit carved with bunches of grapes and numerous icons around the walls.
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Soviet Army Monument
Standing sentinel over pl Troikata is this towering concrete memorial to the Red Army, comprising a tall, slender column surmounted by a saluting Russian soldier, sculpted panels featuring Soviet soldiers in action against Nazi troops, and rejoicing Bulgarian peasants. It's in much better shape than many other similar monuments around the country, and is still a major focal point of the city; it's even illuminated at night.
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Ethnographic Museum
Housed in a delightful revival-era mansion built in 1860, Varna’s Ethnographic Museum is one of the country’s best. The ground floor contains a collection of agricultural implements and displays about weaving, wine-making and fishing from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 1st floor has an impressive range of costumes and jewellery, and the four rooms on the 2nd floor are furnished in period style.
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