Nessebar - the pearl of the South coast of the Black Sea- one of the most ancient towns in Europe.

    Location: The town of Nessebar has about 9437 inhabitants and extends over a small peninsula. It lies 37 km northeast of Bourgas and 429 km east of Sofia. Its beach is considered to be one of the finest along the Black Sea coast due to a large sandy strip of land between the town and the village of Ravda, covered with clean golden sand. There are marvelous dunes next to the coast. The green copses by the sandy strips provide a cool breath of air during the hot days. Near Nessebar are situated St. Vlas, Ravda, and Pomorie. The town of Nessebar is one of the oldest in Europe.

History: The town was founded on the place of a Thracian fisherman’s settlement that was named Menabryia- the town of Mena (the founder of the settlement).
- In the 6th century BC it was a colony of the Megarus tribe from ancient Greece, immigrants from Byzantium and Kalhedon. It remained the only Doric colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical Ionic colonies.
The Greeks named it Messembria and it grew into a big and well-fortified town-state with natural protection both from the land and the sea. It was equipped with water mains, a system of sewers, fortified walls, amphitheatre and numerous cult buildings the most impressive of which was the temple of Apollo. It became a commercial centre and plenty of goods from the Aegean and the Mediterranean basins were traded there. The excavated objects testify to a brisk trade with the ancient world.
The town maintained excellent relations with the neighboring Thracian tribes and minted its own coins
 - In 5th century BC- the town maintained excellent relations with the neighboring Thracian tribes and minted its own coins
   -In 3th century BC  it grew so much that it founded its own colony called Navlohos near Obzor. The whole land between Nessebur and Obzor used to be a granary that supplied the two colonies with food as well as products of exchange and import.
  -In 1st century BC the town fell under Roman rule and surrendered to Marcus Lukulus’ legions so that it did not suffer any devastation. It was then that the constructions of the second colony of Messembria began, to the south of it - Anhialo (present day Pomorie).
-In the early Middle Ages the town restored the fortress walls and until 812 it was part of Byzantium. In the same year it was conquered by Khan Kroum with no resistance put up, and was included in the territory of Bulgaria. Many a time the town was under the rule of the Bulgarians and then in the hands of the Byzantines.

During the reign of Ivan Alexander the town reached its cultural and economic boom, and it grew to the extent of occupying a huge territory of the land beyond the peninsula. It was approximately in this period of time when most of the churches of Nessebur were built and up to this day they are a unique decoration of the town. According to the world statistics Nessebur is the town having the biggest number of churches per capita.
In 1366 the knights of Amadeus of Savoy conquered and devastated the town, and then sold it to Byzantium for 15 000 golden ducats. In 1453 shortly after Constantinople fell under Turkish domination the town was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and suffered decay. At the dawn of the Liberation it was a dilapidated fishermen’s settlement, with well-developed viticulture on the soft hills above the town.

Places of interest - the architecturally unique town of Nessebar
The churches in Nessebur are 41. Not all of them have preserved their full brilliance but even their present condition strongly impresses tourists.
•    Basilica - оne of the oldest sights is the situated on the seashore, built most probably at the beginning of 5th century. The building had three naves, however only the foundations have remained today.
•     The Old Bishop’s Residence- located in the centre of the town is probably the most imposing one of all the churches in Nessebur. It is more than 25 m long and 22 m wide. The three naves were decorated with a colonnade and arches; stone and brick laid with a mosaic covered floor.
•    St. John the Baptist Church-it was built in 11th century and is a typical cross domed church with three naves and four brick-laid columns supporting the whole dome. There are some fragments of frescoes preserved dating back to 13th century. There is a small archaeological museum arranged in the church.
•    The St. Stefan Church or New Bishop’s Residence was built in 10th century, too, and is situated in the vicinity of the harbor. It is three-nave. The exterior decoration is so picturesque that it marked the beginning of the future typical style of Nessebur expressed in the construction and decoration of churches of later times. The facade of the church is ornamented with built-in meanders of glazed ceramic figures of different colours, maiolicas and enamelled tiles that at the same time adorn and distinguish the architectural components. The main frescoes here were painted in 14th-15th centuries. The bishop’s throne and the altar were made of wood later in 17th century.
•    St. Todor Church- however only two facades have been preserved in their initial style. Today it has been restored, but the preserved decoration elements are unique in shape, color, and variety of component combination.
•    The St. Paraskeva Church was built in the same style. It is a small one-nave church. The ornaments match the architectonics of the building in a most natural way. Consoles with tiny arches slightly support the upper part of the dome and resemble children’s sandcastle.
•     The St. Archangels Michail and Gavrail Church used to have a dome; its remains evidence of an interesting project and excellent performance. The restoration enables the tourists see the architectural conception in the typical picturesque style.
•    Pantocrator Church-in the center of the town with domes on a rectangular foundation.
•     The St. Yoan Aliturgetos Church is considered to be the most beautiful one perched high above the harbour. It has three naves and the decoration of the facades is of unique beauty, particularly the eastern one facing the sea.

The remains of many parts of fortress walls have been found as well as the square turret, the round turret, a large part of the authentic medieval street pavement, and some of the Roman and Greek pavements, fortifications of different times and epochs, remains of administrative and other kinds of buildings. In spite of its small size the town is ever surprising tourists with the antiquities appearing all over the place.

•    During the Turkish rule only one church was built in 17th century – the St. Spas Church.
 The typical houses of Nessebur built in the unique style of 16th-19th centuries are interesting architectural monuments. So are the houses of Diamanti and that of Panayot Mouskoyani, which hosts an ethnographic exhibition, and that of Captain Pavel. The whole ensemble of the old quarters of Nessebur shows remarkable taste and mastership in the construction of houses, stone walls, and streets. The Turkish bath and the windmill at the beginning of the causeway are of particular interest.

Surrounding areas:
Ravda, Aheloy, Pomorie

 The village of Ravda is situated south of Nessebur and a sand strip connects both. There are melon fields, vines and gardens near the village where one can buy fresh agricultural products at low prices. There are numerous children’s and youth camps, holiday houses and private lodgings. Ravda is a cosy coastal village, which is 30 kilometers away from Bourgas, 3 kilometers away from Nesebar and 5 kilometers south of Sunny Beach, St. Vlas and Elenite.The village has several bays with beaches reaching Nessebar. The sand is golden and extremely fine; it is kept ecologically clean. There is a lifeguard service, umbrellas, sun beds, pedal boats and others. In the south part of the beach there is a waterslide.
The village of Aheloy is situated on the motorway to Bourgas near the mouth of the Aheloy River. This is where the Bulgarian Tsar Simeon I destroyed the armies of the Byzantine emperor Lion Foka in the area called nowadays Kokalos because of the scattered bones of the killed soldiers.
 A vast firth with a sand strip parallels the distance from here to Pomorie and the long beach of excellent category is not yet built up. It borders the firth of Pomorie and the salt-mines by the town.

Accommodation
Do you need hotels or holidays in Nessebar?
Excellent choice!
Nessebur will be a pleasant and unforgettable experience for you!
Very peaceful and pictures place deserve to be seen located on semi peninsula, Nessebar nowadays is an important tourist destination and historical place in Bulgaria.It consists of two parts- Old town Nessebar and a New town. In the Old town you can find mainly private rooms and very few family hotels and in the New town-big choice of luxury hotels- 2, 3, 4, star, private rooms with modern convenience at reasonable price. These are most of them: 
      
•    Iberostar Festa Panorama Hotel ****- The beautiful, newly build hotel in the new part of Nessebur, enjoys a fantastic sea front location. All rooms are fully air-conditioned and furnished to a high standart. The hotel offers to its clients lobby bar, restaurant, shops, sauna, massage center, hairdresser, children playground, fitness and internet club.

•    Marina Palace Hotel ****-A marvelous hotel that offers its clients phone, TV, Minibar, Restaurant, Lobby bar, Spa center, Sauna, Massage, Hair-dresser, Roomservice, Outdoor swimming pool, Children's playground, Parking place, Internet, Elevator, Fitness, Air condition, Safe box, Jacuzzi, Conference room,

•    Oscar Hotel ***- This is an elegant and comfortably furnished hotel,located in the new part of the picturesque town of Nessebur on a quite street, 200m from the beach. "Oscar" offers 2 appartments with kitchen, guest - room, bedroom, bathroom - luxuriously furnished and 30 double rooms.

•    IFA Nessebar Palace****- The "IFA Hotel Nessebar Palace" offers holidays in a new modern luxuriously equipped complex with a wonderful sandy beach, attractive sports activities, excellent Bulgarian and international cuisine as well as special areas for health and beauty, for relaxation and recuperation.

•    Hotel IFA Nessebar Mare****- The IFA Beach Hotel Nessebar Mare is one of three hotels that make up the IFA Beach Resort Nessebar Bay and is surrounded by trees in an extensive garden. The hotel has a wonderful view over the sea and the small village of Ravda which is only a few minutes walk from the hotel – approximately 1,8 km.

•    Hotel IFA Nessebar Bay****- The IFA Beach Hotel Nessebar Bay has 283 comfortably furnished rooms, family rooms with connecting doors, studios and suites. All rooms are 4 star quality with superior equipment, balcony or terrace. The attractively designed indoor and outdoor swimming pools with varying depths of water guarantee fun in the water.

•    Rony Hotel ***- Hotel "Roni" is situated next to the entrance of the Old Castle's Gate. Its 18 - th century architecture style and interior harmonizes the style of the old Nessebur town. 3km away, north direction is situated the biggest Bulgarian resort "Sunny beach", that offers lots of places guaranteeing your amusement - discos, night bars, tennis courts and fitness centers, wide beach and casinos. "Roni" disposes of three one bedroom appartments and twelve double and triple rooms. They ofer all necessary features that make your stay pleasant: air - conditioning, international access phone, TV set, mini bar, hairdryer.

•    Abordage Hotel
•    Alexandrov Plaza Hotel ****
•    Andonov Family Hotel **
•    Aquamarin Hotel **
•    Arsena Hotel ****
•    Arsenal Hotel
•    Bilyana Beach Hotel
•    Bora Hotel ***
•    Capri Hotel ***
•    Del Mar Hotel
•    Dreams Hotel
•    Electra Holiday Centre ***
•    Gergana Hotel **
•    Hronos Hotel **
•    Ivon Hotel ***
•    Kirios Hotel ***
•    Korten Holiday Home
•    Lambovi Hotel ***
•    Linoff Hotel ***
•    Loz Hotel ***
•    Messembria Hotel **
•    Mistral Hotel ***
•    Monte Cristo Hotel ***
•    Old Nessebur Hotel
•    Orchidee Hotel
•    Orfei hotel **
•    Panorama Hotel ***
•    Pelican Hotel Complex ***
•    Perun Hotel ***
•    Ponko Hotel
•    Prince Cyril Hotel ***
•    Royal Hotel
•    Vanini Hotel ***
•    Villa - Restaurant Honolulu ***
•    Villa Pulpudeva
•    Violeta 7 Hotel ***
•    Zlatna Ribka Hotel ***

Catering: Visiting to a folk style restaurant, you will be welcomed with bread, salt and folk music. Guide introduces the chef, who tells the visitors about traditional Bulgarian food, how it is prepared and served and the traditional drinks that go with it.
There are three main groups of entertainment spots:
1.    Exotic restaurants and bars;
2.    Folk-style restaurants with folklore program and dinner;
3.    Night clubs with music and dancing over a glass of champagne.

More than 50 restaurants, folk style and other establishments with floor shows and excellent food snack and cafeterias are available in Nessebar.In the resort the hotels` restaurants are three categories-deluxe, high and medium. Apart from them, there are plenty of traditional Bulgarian folk-style mehanas, restaurant that are well-represented by:

•    “Kapitanska sreshta" Restaurant is situated in the South part of Old Nessebar, 30 km away from Bourgas Airport, 100 km away from Varna and 5 km away from Sunny Beach. The clients can enjoy the wonderful view to Nessebar port and Bourgas bay, sitting on the terrace with friends.The building is a National cultural monument built at the end of 18-th century. The original atmoshere of previous centuries has been kept and the unique architecture makes the building to be an Old Nessebar symbol. The restaurant is distributed on several levels (terrace, halls, VIP). Opportunities for conferences and celebrations are available.The restaurant offers its guests Black Sea fish specialties and Bulgarian national dishes.

•    Pub "Ponko" –the pub offers its guests more than 30 different kinds of pizza, beer appetizers specialties, salads and desserts.


•    “Plakamoto” - The restaurant is situated near the centre of the ancient Nessebar on its south-eastern coast. The place will charm you with its atmosphere. It offers a rich menu, fish and fish delicacies. Be a client and enjoy yourself.

•     SVETI STEFAN- The St. Stefan restaurant is located in the heart of Nessebar Old town near the rocky beach harbor. Built on a holly place, opposite the oldest monument in Europe The restaurant of the hotel offers rich fish [menu]., bulgarian and international cuisine, exotic dishes and cocktails for the summer days. A young and professional staff takes care of your comfort and pleasure.

•    “Cheverme” – “Cheverme” restaurant is an original place in Nessebar. The picture to the right is the best illustration for what "Cheverme" means. Everything concerning Cheverme Restaurant is incredible and unique: the interior, the spirit, the dishes and drinks, the songs and dances. This is the place where you can watch the Unique Nestinari - dancers on fire. The guests enjoy all the time. A special wet party is the Event for every Wednesday - the winners are granted special awards. Cheverme is a Bulgarian way of abundant life. Come and stay with us and you will feel the fervor of happy life.

•    SALSA disco club 
•    Melnica
•    La BOMBA disco club 
•    Rony Vienna Saloon
•    AQUAmariN
•    Andromeda
•    Disco Rio club

Transport: There is a regular transport connecting Bourgas and Pomorie to Nessebur and Slaunchev Bryag (Sunny Beach). There are private taxis typical for the seaside towns due to the great number of tourists. The prices are moderate. There is water transport to Bourgas; one can often hire local boatmen to reach various places in the bay.