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.

Picturesque views of Sozopol. There are many sheltered bays, cliffs and beaches. View from the old town towards new Sozopol.

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.

Pedestrian path around the old part of Sozopol. In the distance you can see the island of St. Ivan – the largest Bulgarian island in the Black Sea. There are excursions there.

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.

Architecture of old Sozopol – there are many traditional Bulgarian wooden buildings. Often the first floor is made of stone (this is probably stronger). Previously, there were many windmills in the city, but now Mashe Pasha has only seen one.

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.

The pedestrian street runs right next to the water. Here you can see the remains of the old fortress wall, there are several restaurants and simply stunning views of the sea and the city.

– 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 photo shows the building of the Fishing School on the island of Kirika. It is located on the other side of the harbor from the old town. The building is abandoned.

– 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).

House with a restaurant in Sozopol on the seashore, next to a small church. Everything looks beautiful.

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.

Ancient wooden Bulgarian house. There are many of these in Sozopol. They were mainly built in the 19th and early 20th centuries and were owned by local fishermen at that time. By the way, unlike Nessebar, there are still many local residents left here, including fishermen.

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.

View of the central beach of Sozopol. It’s quite crowded here.

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>

Boulevard and small park near the central beach of Sozopol. Located between the old and new towns. Buses from Burgas come here and city tours begin from here.

Sozopol harbor. Located north of the old town (towards Burgas). There are many small boats and yachts parked here.

In the city you can see in places the ancient ruins of Apollonia – an ancient Greek colony that was located on the site of modern Sozopol. The photo shows the remains of the fortress wall of the ancient city.

Simply a beautiful Bulgarian house in the old part of Sozopol. Balkan architecture in all its glory.