No matter how you call this city – “Nessebar”, “Nessebir”, “Nessebir” or even “Nessebr” – one thing remains unchanged – a magical fairy tale in which everyone who sets foot on this land appears.

Nessebar was founded more than 3 thousand years ago, it is believed that it is one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Nessebar resort is a picturesque place chosen by romantics and people of creative professions. Many choose this area for the best beach vacation. It is not for nothing that it is believed that Nessebar has the best beaches in Bulgaria. Fine golden sand against the backdrop of the ancient city – such a magical picture can be observed by all tourists. A real miracle of nature are white cliffs and long sand dunes.

The mild climate of the resort provides a wonderful beach holiday. Here tourists will be able to splash around in the water. In Nessebar, ideal conditions have been created for a summer holiday at sea with children. A gentle entrance to the sea allows children to swim independently, under the supervision of their parents.

Summer holidays in Bulgaria at the resort of Nessebar

Summer holidays in Bulgaria at the resort of Nessebar are not only well-groomed beaches, but also a tour of the city’s attractions. The main attractions of Nessebar are churches. Due to the mixing of Greek and Slavic traditions, churches with a unique appearance have emerged. The most popular church is the Church of the Holy Virgin, which houses a miraculous icon. Every year in August, thousands of believers come here and stay overnight, praying for their health and the health of their loved ones. In total, there are about 40 ancient temples in Nessebar.

A vacation by the sea in the ancient town of Nessebar allows you to enjoy various active sports. Tourists can go surfing, diving, and water skiing. In addition, there is a yacht club on the coast, vacationers can order an amazing trip to the vastness of the Black Sea at any time. Summer vacation in Bulgaria at the Nessebar resort guarantees comfortable living conditions. On the coast there are hotels for tourists with different budgets, for family vacations and for a noisy company of friends. There are also luxury hotels that offer a huge number of basic and additional services.

The city is located 34 km from the port Burgas and 100 km from the party city Varna. Nessebar is not a well-known Bulgarian resort among our tourists, but in fact it is one of the most beautiful cities in Bulgaria and, unlike Varna and Golden Sands, where the only attractions are the beaches and the promenade, there are also beautiful mountain landscapes, narrow streets full of mysteries, thousand-year-old ruins, ruins of ancient churches and original architecture.

Another significant advantage of Nessebar is its relatively low prices. Why relative, because they are much lower than in Varna or Sunny Beach, but higher than, for example, in Sozopol and Pomorie.

Nessebar: description of the city, attractions, beaches, where to go, what to do

Old town

A wide bridge connects the Old town of Nessebar with its New part.

In general, Nessebar is called a museum city due to the large number of architectural attractions and ancient churches, and in 1983 the Old town of Nessebar was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can wander for hours along the intricate cobblestone streets of the Old Town and you will never see the same picture or the same landscape: ancient houses made of stone and wood, retaining walls made of stones hanging over the road and entwined with vines and ivy, sprawling bushes of fragrant oleander, narrow piers for yachts and boats, bizarre outlines of mountains and the beckoning lights of Sunny Beach from afar.

The most popular attraction of Nessebar is the Old Town with its winding streets, ancient family churches and what remains of them, piers, beaches, cafes and restaurants, magnificent views of the sea and mountains. The Old Town is the place where you will get the best impressions and take hundreds of stunning photos.

When is the best time to relax in Nessebar?

The season in Nessebar, as on the entire Bulgarian coast, is short – 3 summer months. However, in June the water does not have time to warm up yet, so not everyone will be able to enjoy swimming.

The peak of the season falls on July-August, but at this time there are the largest number of tourists, the highest prices, air temperature (30 – 35) and water (24 – 26). So, if you want to relax in the heat and save money, then both May and September are suitable. In September, the savings are less, but you can still swim.

It is quite warm in April and October, although weather disasters are possible.

Children, of course, are brought for the whole summer, they successfully acclimatize in June and easily tolerate the summer heat.

Where to stay in Nessebar?

Nessebar, one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria, with a large number of attractions, and as a result, with a large number of tourists who come here on excursions. It is interesting to walk, sit in cafes, look at historical artifacts and architecture, but not to live there, and this is despite the fact that there are many hotels and apartments for rent in the old town. It is better to choose hotels or apartments for accommodation in New Nessebar, which is located near its historical part. The number of hotels is large and before deciding, you should understand what kind of vacation you need. If this is a vacation with children, then you should look at the hotels belonging to the Spanish hotel chain Sol. It is famous for its caring and attentive attitude towards children. Almost all hotels have children’s playrooms, and animators specially trained to play with children work. As an example, these are the hotels: Sol Mare 4 stars, Sol Bay 4 stars and the luxurious Sol Palace 5 stars (with its own water park). They are located not in the city itself, but on the coast between Nessebar and Ravda, but this is relatively close to the city. Yes, the latter is also a great place for a romantic vacation for young couples.

However, it is worth understanding that the demand for these hotels is very high, so it makes sense to book places in the spring. By the way, with early booking, prices are also lower.

If we talk about the private sector, then we would not advise choosing Nessebar, both old and new. At least, having rummaged through a bunch of offers available on the Internet before the holiday, we did not really find anything, but in nearby Ravda, there are very good options, and at cheaper prices.

What to see in Nessebar?

The main place to visit in Nessebar is the Old Town. It is easy to get there by regular bus, shuttle bus or regular taxi. The most picturesque way is on foot, along a narrow spit past the old mill against the backdrop of the Sunny Beach bay. On the right, in the small bay of Nessebar, next to the monument to the fallen sailors, if you are lucky, you can meet royal swans.

Numerous Christian medieval churches of Old Nessebar, complemented by the ruins of fortress walls, wooden houses in the Turkish style and cobblestones underfoot, create a unique atmosphere of antiquity. From the highest points of the city, magnificent sea views open. And yet, churches are the main attractions of Old Nessebar. Is it possible to miss the oldest – Metropolitan (5th century), or the most beautiful – Church of Christ Pantocrator? And there are forty churches preserved here in total.

It is definitely worth visiting the archaeological museum at the very beginning of the Old Town, next to the barrier. A rich exposition, especially in the part of antique gold jewelry.

But the most charming thing about Nessebar is its winding narrow cobblestone streets and unique Bulgarian houses built in the Renaissance period. The first floors of these houses are stone with narrow windows. Apparently, the first floor was previously used as warehouses or wine cellars. The second residential floors, usually wooden, with large windows and panoramic protruding bay windows and balconies, are decorated with intricate carvings. Walking through the streets of Nessebar is a pleasure and you can photograph literally everything here: shop windows and boutiques, bright flowers in hanging pots, old doors of houses with forged massive fittings. There is such a pleasant atmosphere here that you want this walk to last forever.

In the evening, Nessebar becomes attractive and magical and its old buildings, churches and temples in the semi-darkness create the feeling that you are lost in time and transported to the distant Middle Ages. The streets are very lively in the evening: live music plays in restaurants, you can meet mimes, and crowds of tourists wander in search of evening entertainment. Nessebar is full of wonders that history has generously left us as a legacy. Be sure to visit this unique city in Bulgaria, see the sights of Nessebar, and the impressions and memories of it will remain with you forever.

When you get tired of wandering the streets, go to the Old Town Beach, located near the pier, to which small ships and yachts often dock. During the day, this beach is quite uncrowded and you can find a place right by the water, and at night it is from here that it is best to watch the lights flickering in the distance and listen to the sound of the sea.

Church of St. Sophia

This temple is the oldest in the city and one of the most impressive. Unfortunately, the times of former beauty are long gone and only ruins remain from the luxurious architectural ensemble, but it is worth coming to them, admiring the patterns on the walls and touching history.

The church is located in the very center of the Old Town, and a few dozen meters from it is the ancient Turkish fountain, from which guests and residents of the city passing by have been drinking for several centuries.

Turkish fountain in Nessebar

Oddly enough, a rather important landmark of Nessebar is considered the Turkish fountain, which has been preserved in the city since the time of Turkish rule, which lasted more than 400 years (1452-1878). The fountain is located in Old Nessebar near the central street Messembria (Messembria) at the corner of Ivan Assen 2 and next to the church of St. Sophia. There are also Turkish baths here, which, like the fountain, are not particularly remarkable from the outside, but tourists are drawn here like a magnet. Maybe because there are almost no other architectural traces of the long Turkish rule in the city.

Ruins of the Byzantine Baths in Nessebar

In the city you will see the ruins of the Byzantine baths. These are public ancient baths that were built in the 6th century and the water came there from the water supply system, which, at that time, stretched through the entire city. Once the baths had a large hall with marble columns, several pools, a luxurious white marble floor. And thanks to the clever water supply system, the contrasting temperature of the water and air was maintained in different halls, which made bathing very pleasant. Now almost nothing remains of the baths, only excavations. Part of the complex has been demolished and new residential buildings have been built, leaving no trace of the former splendor of this ancient creation.

Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum with a Complex of Ancient Temples

The whole of Nessebar looks like a branch of the most beautiful historical museum in the world and, thanks to a happy coincidence, it is here that a museum complex worth visiting is located, which consists of the Ethnographic Museum and the Archaeological Museum, as well as five ancient temples: Churches of St. John the Baptist and Churches of St. Stephen (11th century), Churches of St. Paraskeva and Churches of Christ Pankrator (13th century), Churches of the Holy Savior (17th century).

You can buy a comprehensive ticket, which will cost less than visiting each temple separately. Being near the Ethnographic Museum, go see the ruins of the ancient Amphitheater, where you can not only take beautiful photos, but also admire the city and the sea from a height. By the way, it is better to come here in the evening to see the splendor of the sea, splashing in the rays of the setting sun.

Beaches of Nessebar

In Nessebar there are five well-groomed sandy beaches, the most popular among vacationers are Northern Beach and Southern, several pebble beaches, where locals often go, trying to avoid the crowds, and about a dozen wild beaches, walking along which you can reach Sunny Beach itself, a resort located in the neighborhood.

There are fewer vacationers in Nessebar, which means the beaches are much cleaner, and there are much more places on them.

All Nessebar beaches are free.

The average price of a double room in a three-star hotel by the sea in Nessebar in June is 30-40 euros, the same room in August will cost more – 60-70 euros. If you want to find a hotel on the first line, then when booking on Booking.com you can check the “First line” box in the menu on the left and the system will select the hotels that you need.

Food prices in Nessebar: cafes and shops

The principle “the closer to the sea, the more expensive” works in Bulgarian cities. This rule also applies in general, for example, a vacation in Plovdiv will cost you less than the same vacation in Nessebar, because in Nessebar, unlike Plovdiv, there is a sea. The same rule applies, for example, to shops or cafes – in all seaside cities the most expensive shops are located by the sea. The ice cream that you will be sold on the beach will cost twice as much as the same ice cream around the corner.

Speaking specifically about Nessebar, it is worth noting that the prices here are higher than in small resort towns such as Ravda, Obzor, Pomorie, but lower than in Sunny Beach, Varna or Golden Sands.

A delicious breakfast (for example, an omelette and coffee) in a seaside cafe will cost about 4-5 euros, a hearty lunch will cost a little more – 5-8 euros per person. Dinner in a restaurant (without alcohol) will cost about 8-12 euros per person.

In Nessebar there are many small eateries where you can have a cheap snack, so those who want to save money will be able to do it.

Rent a car in Nessebar

Sunny Beach, Pomorie, Burgas, Sozopol are just a small part of the beautiful Bulgarian resorts that are worth visiting, once you are in this flourishing country. You can plan a trip by bus, but be prepared for the fact that it will be very hot (due to the lack of air conditioning in public transport) and possible difficulties with the bus schedule (the schedule must be clarified at the bus stations).

You can also plan a trip by car, even if you arrived in Bulgaria by plane. Renting a comfortable Ford Fiesta will cost you as much as a dinner for two in a cafe – about 20 euros per day and the more days you rent a car, the cheaper each subsequent day will cost.