Sozopol is one of two ancient cities on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast, the historical center of which has been well preserved to this day.
Where is Sozopol?
Sozopol is located 34 km away. to the south from Burgas, travel time there by car or regular bus on a good highway is about 30-40 minutes. You can either buy a tour of Sozopol from local travel agencies or conduct it yourself. The historical center of the city is small, Masha Pasha walked around it in about an hour and a half.
The area around Sozopol is very picturesque – there are many sheltered rocky bays and sandy beaches. There are also islands (near the city there is the island of St. Ivan – the largest Bulgarian island in the Black Sea). The city itself is located on a peninsula jutting deep into the sea.
The old part of Sozopol is an architectural reserve included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many ancient original Bulgarian wooden houses from the 19th – early 20th centuries, the remains of the fortress wall of the medieval city, several churches, the ancient ruins of the ancient Greek colony of Apollonia, which was founded on the territory of modern Sozopol back in the 7th century BC, have been preserved here.
Sights of Sozopol
Among the attractions of Sozopol it should be noted:
– the remains of a fortress wall running along the sea around the old part of the city. By the way, there is also a very picturesque pedestrian street running right next to the cliff at the edge of the water. The place is very beautiful.
– several religious buildings: the Church of the Holy Mother of God, which has a beautiful wooden iconostasis, as well as the existing churches of St. George (with a marble altar of the 4th century) and St. Zosima.
– the post office building of the early 20th century and the building of the Fishing School (the latter is located on the small island of Kirika, on the other side of the city harbor).
But this is not the main thing. The Masha Pashas believe that the most beautiful things in Sozopol are the ancient narrow streets (by the way, unlike tourist Nessebar, there are many residential buildings here), picturesque views of the bays, beaches and nearby islands, a quiet harbor with boats and, in general, the atmosphere of an ancient city.
Beaches and hotels in Sozopol
Between Old and New Sozopol there is a central beach, along which there is a boulevard with palm trees and a small park. It is always crowded here, so for a seaside holiday it is better to choose Golden Fish Beach (north of the center) or Harmani Beach, located south of the old town.
In the vicinity of Sozopol there are two beautiful five-star hotels and residences “Santa Marina” and “San Tomas”. Most local hotels have 2-3 stars. There are many guest houses and simply rented apartments in Sozopol. The disadvantage is that there are no large shopping centers or grocery stores, only small shops and shops. For shopping and purchases you will need to go to Burgas (see our article about shopping in Burgas on mashapasha.com.< script id="aviacity" data-src="BOJ" src="/../../wp-content/themes/fukasawa/js/aviacity.js" defer>