Charmed by Nessebar, which I wrote about earlier here , we wanted to see more of ancient Bulgaria. The next stop on our list was Sozopol .
Sozopol is one of many cities on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, but one of the few so charming, where relics of ancient architecture and culture have survived to this day.
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Sozopol, like Nessebar, is famous for its ancient old town dominated by characteristic stone and wooden buildings, and is similarly old to Nessebar, its history probably dates back to the Bronze Age.
There are more similarities to Nessebar; in ancient times, Sozopol was also one of the most important trade centers, with a turbulent history, successively coming under the influence of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Turks and finally Bulgarians.
The Greeks, who founded their first colony here in 7 BC, originally named the city Antheia, and soon after, thanks to the enormous statue of the Greek god Apollo that stood in the heart of the city, they renamed it Apollonia.
The name Sozopol appeared in the 19th century, when the Bulgarians officially took over the city. Currently, Sozopol, a city inhabited by about 13 thousand people ( according to Wikipedia ), is quite an important tourist and cultural center on the Bulgarian coast.
The city is located in close proximity to Burgas, approx. 35 km east of the international airport, and is often chosen by foreign tourists for a summer vacation, due to its convenient location and beautiful beaches, or as a base for sightseeing trips by those who want to spend their vacation actively.
There are tourist boats running between Sozopol and Nessebar, and such a several-hour cruise can be treated as an additional attraction and a nice way to spend the day actively away from the beach, although still within reach of the Black Sea.
The Biggest Attractions of Sozopol - Places You Must See
OLD TOWN
I don't know about you, but when planning to visit new places, I usually start with old towns, and the Old Town in Sozopol is a real architectural gem. Characteristic narrow cobblestone streets, surrounded by stone and wooden buildings of old historic houses, lead as if to a place lost over the centuries, a magical city, where history can be seen and felt in every nook and cranny.
These buildings give the old town of Sozopol the specific character of the Bulgarian Renaissance, which lasted from 1770 to 1900, i.e. the time of the liberation of the Bulgarians from the rule of the Ottoman Turks.
Most of these characteristic houses are residential buildings, some are guesthouses, guest houses and restaurants, this is not an open-air museum, this is where life really happens. It is worth finishing a visit to the Sozopol old town with a meal in one of the many atmospheric restaurants, I especially recommend those with a sea view. Delicious light Bulgarian cuisine is a really pleasant culinary adventure, many of these restaurants have fish and seafood on their menus in addition to meat dishes.
THE WALLS OF THE CITY OF APOLLONIA
In the heart of the Old Town of Sozopol, surrounded by traditional Bulgarian houses, the ruins of an ancient Greek city have been standing for centuries. Touching these quite well-preserved Greek walls and arches, you are brushing up against living history dating back to the 7th century BC. It is impressive, isn't it?
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Continuing along the path of history, it is impossible to miss the Archaeological Museum, which is a continuation of our journey along the path of history. In the museum, you will see permanent exhibitions of artifacts from the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras. The exhibitions present old coins, columns, vases and jewelry from different periods.
ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM
Following the trail of history and museums, another point worth noting on the itinerary is the Ethnographic Museum. The museum is beautifully located on the seashore, in one of these historic wooden buildings, specially restored for its needs, and houses interesting exhibits mainly from the Bulgarian Revival period. I recommend seeing the interior design of an old Bulgarian house, an exhibition of ethnic costumes from that period and everyday objects used by the residents of old Sozopol.
PORT
Due to its location on the Red Sea, the city cannot be without a port. The port in Sozopol may not be as large as the one in Burgas, but considering the size of the city and the number of inhabitants, it is not a small marina either.
It is a fairly large, developed sea port, where both local boats and sailboats as well as tourist ships, which are one of the main attractions, are moored. Ships sail between Sozopol, Nessebar, Sunny Beach every few hours, it is worth going on such a sea trip.
VIRTUAL WALK THROUGH THE ANCIENT CITY
I also invite you to my YouTube channel for virtual walks through the most beautiful corners of ancient Sozopol , Nessebar and Burgas.
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