Often referred to as the Pearl of the Black Sea, Old Nessebar is an incredibly beautiful and historic town situated in the Burgas Province of Bulgaria. The biggest reason for my visit to this area of Bulgaria in fact, was to see this remarkable ancient city.
Brief History
Originally a Thracian settlement, Nessebar was overtaken by the Greeks in the 6th century BC. Since then, it has passed through the hands of the Romans, Byzantines, Bulgars and Ottomans. It was an important trading centre for the Greeks and in fact, some of the first coins in the world were minted here as early as the 6th century.
Today
I had viewed pictures online so I had a vague idea of what I was going to see today. What I experienced in person, far outweighed any photographs online. The little town is simply gorgeous. On this first visit, I went early in the day. I wanted the town to myself before the crowds overtook the quaint ancient streets.
Being summertime, there are a lot of tourists here, like most places in Europe. Being August in particular, many of the city folk around Bulgaria, have closed up shop and headed for the seaside for the entire month. I’m told, tourists here are predominately Polish, Bulgarian and Russian. I have not heard one single other native English speaker yet, and I have been here for almost two weeks.
Old Nessebar
I entered through the fortress gates and had no plans. I simply headed down the street on my right, and let myself get lost in the city. It was magical. The narrow cobblestone streets and old wooden buildings are utterly charming. No shops were open, very few vehicles were about. I literally had the place to myself.
Up and down I went, in and out of little nooks and alleys. I think I had a smile of delight on my face the entire time. Once I had reached the tip of the peninsula, I headed back in the direction of the gates. On this side of town, I passed so many beautiful old Orthodox churches. Later I read that little tiny Nessebar has in fact more than 40 churches, either whole or partial remains. The highest per capita in all the world!
By the time I was ready to make the long trek back to my flat, it was after 10am. Already a steady stream of people were flocking into the town and I was glad I was heading in the opposite direction. I will have to write more posts about this incredible ancient town, I am so in love with it.
