Lying to the south of Sunny Beach is the small peninsula on which the ancient town of Nessebar is located - an architectural and historic monument of Bulgarian culture. Nessebar is a historic port with old fashioned cobbled streets, restaurants and shops galore.  

Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Mesembria). At the beginning of the 6th century B.C., the city became a Greek colony. The city's remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the black sea. It is one of the oldest towns in Europe. There was a theatre and a temple of the Greek God Apollo in it. Brass and silver coins were made there, and in the third century AD, golden ones.

The churches were built during the early Byzantine period (5th and 6th centuries) and during the middle ages (10th to 14th centuries). The oldest of them are the basilicas, cruciform, with a single nave. The murals from the 14th to the 18th centuries have an exceptional historic and artistic value, displaying the traditions and craftsmanship of the artisans and icon-painters of that time. Old Nessebar was included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1983. Christ Pantokrator church (10th - 11th c.) Some of the churches have stunningly beautiful facades and interiors and are among the best preserved ones in the Balkan Peninsula. The oldest one is the Sveti Ioan Krastitel (St.John the Baptist, 10th -11th century.

Nowadays Nessebar, with its unique ancient atmosphere, gives an unrepeatable opportunity for recreation and attractions. The accommodation is centralised in well equipped family hotels and private lodgings, offering every convenience necessary for recreation. The numerous restaurants, night clubs etc. satisfy even the most refined tastes. Its narrow cobblestone lanes, tiny squares, two-storied period houses with stone-built ground levels and wooden upper floors jutting above the streets and external staircases, gift shops, pubs, lovely flower gardens give a great atmospheric feel.

Pomorie

This is a popular resort town situated on a rocky peninsula 20km north of Bourgas. Pomorie was  founded in the 4th Century BC with the name Anhialo. The eastern part of the town reflects the historic side of Pomorie in the cobbled streets, National Revival architecture and icon decorated churches. Lake Pomorie has provided the town with what is perhaps its most famous attribute - the mud for the curative baths. In fact the Romans were so taken by the healing powers of the area that coins were made depicting the healing nymphs.

Nowadays Pomorie has a complete health treatment centre based around the mud cures. The region around Pomorie has also achieved acclaim of its own - some of the best wines and brandies in the country are produced here so don't miss the chance to indulge in a little tasting.  

Things to do: The ”Blue mountain” trip to Sliven, including a ride up a mountain chairlift. Boat trip along the Ropotamo river. The best places to dine out are the Vyatarna Melnica or Windmill Restaurant, the Orpheus and the Sozopol Tavern. Fascinating folk evenings available and there are plenty of bars and cafes in the town.

Bourgas

The port of Bourgas is the biggest Bulgarian town with many large shops. Bourgas is more than two thousand years old. It was founded as a Roman settlement under the name of Kulata. The name of the town is derived from the Greek words "pirgos" or "bourgos", meaning fortress, or tower, provoked by the numerous fishing towers - "bourgs" in the vicinity. In the Turkish register from 1676 the settlement was entered as a town for the first time, and later in another document from 1730 - as the port of Bourgas. Burnt down in the 19th century, it was brought back to life again and turned into an important administrative, economic and cultural centre of Bulgaria. Today Bourgas is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria.

Sozopol 

It was founded in ancient times, legend takes it back to 610BC, when Greek settlers founded the city of ”Appolonia”. The town was named Sozopol, which means ”town of refuge” in the 4th century AD, probably because of its port - always known as a place of refuge for sea travellers. Situated on a small rocky peninsula on the southern Black Sea coast, south east of the bustling port of Bourgas, Sozopol today is a beautiful old seaside town. It’s justly proud of its past and keeps its old traditions very much alive - its fishing methods haven’t changed in centuries. Artists and photographers love its narrow cobbled streets, historic churches, weather blackened eaves, bay windows and wooden houses - many dating from the 18th and 19th century. Nowadays however, Sozopol has a busy, thriving modern quarter with many restaurants, cafes and bars which stay open late into the night.

Ski Resorts

The main ski resorts on offer are in the mountains of Rila, Pirin, the Rhodopes, Vitosha, and the Balkan Range. 

·        Borovets

·        Bansko

·        Vitosha

·        Pamporovo

·        Chepelare

Bansko

Situated between the Pirin, Rila and Rhodope mountain ranges, Bansko is located at the base of the Pirin National Park. It is a climatic mountain resort with a short hot summer and long mild winter. Snow falls are abundant, providing a constant winter snow cover, skiing conditions are excellent. The region is famous for its cuisine and colourful folklore. Bansko is the youngest and the best developed ski resort in Bulgaria. The slopes offer runs and tracks for all types of skiers, from starters to experts, and the ski runs are maintained in excellent condition. The resort is equipped with machines for artificial snow. The two major ski regions of Bansko - the lower called Chalin Valog (1,100 - 1,600 m) and the higher Shiligarnika (1,700 - 2,500 m) - are situated above the town, on the northern slopes of the Pirin Mountains. Slalom and giant slalom runs are available in the Shiligarnika region. A gondola lift provides convenient access from the town to the ski slopes. Bansko is applying for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Bansko is a great place to visit during the warmer months from May through October. The Pirin National Park combines breath-taking views with excellent opportunities for hiking and sightseeing, including lakes, waterfalls, caves and historical sights. It is a climatic mountain resort with a short hot summer and long mild winter. Snow falls are abundant, providing a constant winter snow cover up to 2 m thick. The region is famous for its cuisine and colourful folklore and offers various entertainment opportunities. The access to Bansko is convenient even in winter conditions. The distance to the nearest airport – the Sofia Airport - is 160 km, and is covered in just 2 hours by car.

Golden Sands

The resort is the largest one on the Northern Black Sea coast. It is 17 kilometres from Varna. Golden Sands is a magnificent resort with richly wooded hills, a white golden beach and clear blue sea. There are a lot of very famous and ancient mineral water springs. The resort is situated in the area, which is a Bulgarian National park. The resort’s beach strip is 3.5 km. long and up to 100m wide. Golden Sands suits both sun-worshippers and sightseers, being near to Varna, the third largest town of Bulgaria, the pearl of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast with a great number of places of interest.

North of the resort is the village of Kranevo and south is Chaika holiday village. Golden Sands merges with the St. Konstantin and St. Elena resort and the Riviera resort. 

Varna

Varna is the biggest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The city stand in tiers and follows the curves of the Bay of Varna.  Nowadays it is the main port for both naval and commercial shipping and, as it is near the coastal resorts of Golden Sands, St. Constantine (Drouzhba) and Albena, it has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Sailors on shore-leave in unfamiliar ceremonial uniforms, mingle with foreign tourists and locals as they promenade along shady boulevards, lined by dignified 19th and early 20th century buildings.

The city is surrounded by numerous gardens, vineyards and deciduous groves. About 20 kilometres west of Varna is the so-called Stone Forest (Pobitite Kamani), a curious collection of stone columns up to 7 metres high. The first impression is of a ruined temple but scientists have discovered that it is a geological formation of stalagmites some fifty million years old.

It was an inhabited place even before the Greeks established the colony of Odessos there about 580 B.C. Later, under the Romans and their successors, the Slavs, Varna became a major port trading with Constantinople, Venice and Dubrovnik. The name of the town (Odessos - a settlement on water) is not Greek but of an earlier linguistic origin, which suggests the presence of an older village on the same territory.

Plovdiv

The City on Seven Hills, is situated beautifully on the two banks of the Maritsa river, 130 km southeast of the capital Sofia. It the second largest city in Bulgaria with a population of 350,000. Plovdiv’s unique location on the ancient crossroads has stimulated strong cultural and political influences from East and West civilizations, and yet maintained its unique cultural identity. Being older than most of the oldest towns like Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople, almost a contemporary of Troy, Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures.

Remains of ancient, mediaeval, revival and modern culture coexist to make Plovdiv a synonym of Bulgarian history and a genuine world city. The Ancient Theatre, the most impressive edifice of Roman time, was excavated during reinforcement works at the southern fortress wall. It offered almost 7 000 seats once. Nowadays it is used for staging opera and theatre festivals, concerts, municipal celebrations, etc

Old Plovdiv is an autonomous area within the modern town with a municipality of its own. It is declared an architectural museum reserve with over 150 monuments of culture - houses from the National Revival period. Walking around Old Plovdiv, visitors enjoy the steep, cobbled streets and lanes with bow-windows and eaves above them. Its magnificent houses are turned into museums, galleries, workshops, restaurants, and pubs.

But Plovdiv is not just a city rich in cultural monuments and traditions – it is also a modern, vibrant urban centre. Shopping opportunities are abundant with the biggest crowds taking the wide pedestrian shopping street in the city's centre. There, as well as on every side street you'll find charming restaurants with great food and affordable prices. Food is of top quality as Plovdiv is the centre of the main agricultural region of Bulgaria. The city also offers quality entertainment in the way of theatres, concerts and cinema, as well as many opportunities for sport activities.

Plovdiv is famous for the prestigious International Plovdiv Fair, the largest in Southeast Europe. Its pavilions expect exhibitioners and guests from all over the World between May 6-11 and September 23-28. The Fair attracts enormous interest – in 2003 over 7,000 companies from all over the world participated as exhibitors.

The mixture of ancient history and heritage, and modern infrastructure and lifestyle makes Plovdiv a place where the visitor can sample virtually all facets of life and culture not just of Bulgaria, but also of the Balkan region.