Over the years I got used to the Nessebar market stalls. I used to get angry that everything was a kitsch of Chinese goods and souvenirs, but somehow I got used to it and it became my “part of the landscape”. That’s probably not a good thing, but I’m starting to enjoy the town more and look for remnants of the beauty of ancient Mesembria and the typical streets of Old Nessebar among the wooden houses with stone first floor, as we all imagine the town in our memories. And so, almost like a tourist , I squeeze into the Old Town of Nessebar.
Taking pictures in front of the Nessebar mill is fun. Some young ladies, apparently at a bachelorette party, ask us to take their picture with their phones, and they’re also having a great time. It’s summer and quite hot and we are waiting for the evening to cool down, but a walk in the old town of Nessebar is a must after a day at the beach.
It is important to note that in this walk we are with Lili Uzunova, who is naturally from Nessebar and gives us some details we would have missed otherwise. In her blog she also has a wonderful article about Nessebar “A ROMANTIC JOURNEY IN THE OLD TOWN OF NESEBAR” (in Bulgarian)
On the streets of Nessebar
If you pay attention to the street names in the Old Town Nessebar, they will reveal many things about the history of Nessebar. It was once called Messembria or Messemvria. The street leading from the New Town to the Old Tonw is named after Khan Krum – the first Bulgarian ruler who conquered the city in 812. At this time it was part of the Byzantine Empire and Khan Krum annexed it to the Bulgarian state.
Mimi always makes remarks that I too often pay too much attention to names and dates that can be easily checked in Wikipedia. So, I will now take you on a tour of the Old Town Nessebar. You stand at the beginning of the isthmus that connects the mainland with the small peninsula, on which the old town is situated, and enjoy the view, which is quite pleasant nowadays.
Old Town Nessebar, seen from the air, is an impressive and unique town, situated on a small peninsula in the Black Sea, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The peninsula of Nessebar is about 850 meters long and at its widest part is about 350 meters. It has a characteristic shape, which clearly stands out against the blue waters of the Black Sea. From above you can see stone walls in the western part of the peninsula, remains of fortifications and numerous churches throughout the town. The red roofs and narrow cobbled streets add a unique charm to the old town of Nessebar.
Our walk starts along the isthmus and the amusement trains connecting Nessebar to Sunny Beach pass by us. If you are staying in Sunny Beach, it is a great idea to go for a walk in Nessebar with this small touristic train. We stop, as everyone else also does, to take pictures at the Windmill of Nessebar.
The mill, symbol of Nessebar
We’ve all seen pictures of the Nessebar mill, it’s an iconic place and extremely beautiful. But did you know that this mill has been placed here only recently? The current building is a restoration, built in the 1970s, based on photographs and accounts of contemporaries of an authentic mill that existed in this place some decades earlier.
The original mill was built in the 19th century. At that time mainly Greek families lived in Mesembria (Nessebar), who probably , after the Mollov-Kafandaris agreement, moved to Greece. And the mill was destroyed after an earthquake in 1929 and then completely dismantled. There is a very popular old photograph from the 1950s showing the isthmus, and a red-bodied, white-roofed bus coming down the road and a young man, leaning against a street lamp in white pants and a red shirt. This photo, which you can also see on the internet, is missing the mill, which hasn’t been rebuilt in all these years.
Nowadays the mill is also a museum that houses temporary exhibitions, usually during the summer. But most importantly, it has become a symbol of the town of Nessebar. As far as I can understand from old photos, the original wooden mill was able to turn in the direction of the wind. On some old photographs you can see it facing north.
There were more than 5 windmills in Mesemviria and nowadays you can see the remains of three. The forst one is on the isthmus. There is another one built into a hotel, which is located at the head of the isthmus in the New Town (once this was outside the city). Third, the stone foundations of another one are located at the northern end, right next to the remains of the Basilica of Our Lady of Eleusis.
Mesembria, one of the old names of Nessebar
We continue our walk and reach the Western Wall and the gate that is, probably the most indicative place of the city ‘s antiquity. From here starts the main street Messambria and another street called Mena. The Mena street is named after the founder of the city, who according to some sources was called Mena, and according to others , Melsa. He was of Thracian origin and the city was named after him – Bria (from Thracian language – “city”).
In Mesembria was born the legendary ancient Greek fabulist Aesop (620. He was murdered in Delphi in 564 BC. . . by the Delphic priests for ridiculing the gods (another interesting place we’ve written about).
6th century BC .Thanks to its two convenient ports – south and north – the city became a bustling commercial centre. Increased trade and shipping led to the first Greek settlers, the Dorians. Under their influence the city was transformed into an ancient polis called Mesambria Pontica. Architecture typical of Hellenic cities shaped its appearance – an amphitheatre was built, walls, residential quarters and numerous temples. The heyday of maritime trade was marked by the minting of its own coins.
72 BC .Mesambria was conquered by the Romans and became a key trading and cultural centre on the Black Sea coast of Roman Thrace.
812 ADThe town became part of the Bulgarian state for the first time during the reign of Khan Krum. Subsequently, its history is marked by alternating Bulgarian and Byzantine rule.
The town was renamed Nessebar in 1934. Back then there were no houses in today’s new part of the town.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
To the right of the fortress wall you will see the sign: “Nessebar – World Heritage City “, which marks that the town is on the UNESCO list. And if you go to the left, you will come to the street. “Jana Chimbuleva”. Jana Chimbuleva is an archaeologist and historian, who has fought for the development of museum work in Nessebar and for the inclusion of Old Nessebar in the UNESCO list (1983).) She also contributed to the establishment of the modern archaeological museum in the old town. Which is located just beyond the western fortress wall.
The map of Nessebar and some ice cream
Stepping on Messambria Street, our two daughters Annie and Addie stuck to the relief map of Nessebar. Which is a wonderful opportunity to show them where we are and what we will see in the city, besides the ice cream place.
Here we are with Lilly, she grew up in Nessebar, her grandfather is a fisherman and has been a very good friend of ours for years. She tells us stories from contemporary Nessebar.
So Lilly takes us for ice cream at the “Clio ice cream“, next to the archaeological museum. This place offers many types of ice cream that are made in Nessebar. We pick the weirdest ones we can think of and we are happy. Lilly explains to us that her family always buy their ice cream from here. It’ s not cheap, but what is cheap in season?
The churches of Nessebar
We return to the Mesambria street and then turn to the street “Metropolitan”, passing the beautiful church of Christ Pantocrator and the park around it with a small playground. And in Messambria Square there is a fountain where children wash themselves after the ice cream. You can drink from the water.
The Basilica of St. Sophia – The Old Metropolitan church
We reach the Basilicaof St. Sophia, also known as the Old Metropolitan Church. It was once not just a church, but the heart of spiritual life in Mesemvria. Here, in the residence of the Metropolitan Bishop of Nessebar, important ecclesiastical issues affecting many Black Sea towns were decided. It is no coincidence that the basilica was the cathedral temple of the Diocese of Messemvria.
In 1441 the Byzantine princess Matthais was buried in St. Sophia church. This high honor was awarded only to the most prominent citizens of Mesemviria. To honor her memory, a beautiful burial chamber of limestone blocks was built in one of the arches of the church. Unfortunately, the arch was demolished in the past, and only the foundations remain, which can still be seen at the entrance to the church.
The Bulgarian people have preserved the tombstone of Mataisa from the invasions of the Turks. To protect it, they moved it to St. Spas church and integrated it into the flooring. There, hidden from view, the stone stood for many years, away from the danger of being used as building material.
Today the tombstone of Mataisa Kantakuzina-Paleologina is exhibited in the third hall of the Archaeological Museum in Nessebar. There, as if revived from the past, she tells us about the greatness of Medieval Mesemviria, the splendour of the Byzantine Empire and the fate of a remarkable woman.
More churches in Nessebar
For detailed information about the churches of Nessebar I advise you to read Lily ‘s article “NESEBER AND ITS GREAT CHURCHES“, extremely interesting to see the history from the perspective of someone who grew up in these beautiful streets.
The houses of Nessebar
We wend our way through the streets. If you ‘re here towards the end of summer, you can smell the figs everywhere. Around us are the typical two-storey Nessebar houses. Some authentic, some imitating the old architecture.
Nessebar houses, also known as Black Sea houses, are an emblematic part of the town ‘s architectural heritage. Built in a style characteristic of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast in the 18th and 19th centuries, they are distinguished by their beauty, functionality and cosy atmosphere. And the aroma of wood. Usually the first floor is made of stone and the second floor is made of wood.
Our walk through the old town of Nessebar is a real time travel. And the modern stalls and shops cannot completely hide its charm. With every step we seem to touch history, the lifestyle and culture of the people who lived here centuries ago. These houses are not just architectural monuments, they are living witnesses of the past, that make us feel part of something bigger.
Where to eat in Nessebar
Next to the old Metropolitan Church, you are right in the center of the peninsula. You’re probably already looking around for restaurants or other delicious placec to eat. A nice restaurant in Old Town Nessebar is hard to find, but with my better half Mimi, you know we are big lovers of good wine. We head to the Wine shop bar “REGION” , this is the place we recommend for wine here, they have a small and extremely nice courtyard, and their wine selection is only Bulgarian wines, but really good ones. And as Lilly says ” I stop by often and to be honest it’s one of the nicest places you can find in the old town of Nessebar.”
Years ago we used to go to Michael’s Eco Bar , where we had cocktails in a cave-like setting. The menu is nautical themed, and among the cocktails awaiting us are “Nessebar Nights”, “Sea Foam” and other themed ones. And, to find it you have to follow the map, this part of Nessebar is like a little maze.
We already told you about the ice cream, it’s in the beginning of the town – Clio’s Ice Cream.
For dinner I would like to take you to a place with a view of Old Town Nessebar and delicious food. The restaurant “Tony Gigi” is located at Izgrev street in the new part of town, where we sat for lunch. The place has a lovely and very nice ambience, terraces overlooking Old Nessebar and a menu, where you can find Black Sea fish and other delicious dishes prepared with thought. The service was perfect.
Fishing port in Old Nessebar
Speaking of delicious food, I recall the boats at the fishing port in Nessebar. Here you can still meet fishermen from Nessebar, who fish at sunrise and if it’s good catch you can buy fish from them around 10am. Ask what is on season.
What Bulgarian wine is made in this region
The Black Sea region is rich in wineries. And we will not fail to recommend:Stratsin is a relatively small winery in the village of Stratsin, which is about 30 km from Nessebar. Their vineyards are located close to the sea between Pomorie and Aheloy. I’m sure their wines are in the Region Bar, but probably in many other places as well. And if you call them in advance, you can arrange a tasting at the winery. Their tasting room is very cozy.
If you are looking for a recommendation of other wines to try here, nice wineries from the region are Tohun, Black Sea Gold, Salla Estate, Santa Sarah, Staro Oryahovo. Slightly further north, but again from the Black Sea region are Zharava and Odessos. All wineries make very good wines.
South beach – favorite beach in Nessebar
For me the best beach in Nessebar is the South beach. I love to go there and enjoy the nice and wide beach. The sea is shallow at the beginning and the water is lovely even in June. The kids love playing here and last but not least, we are close to our friends.
The umbrellas and sunbeds on the South beach of Nessebar in 2024 cost 8 BGN per piece
Tips for Old Town Nessebar
Parking lot is on the north side of the town. When you pass the isthmus, turn left and you will get to it. It’s paid, there are options by the hour or all day.
Use taxis as a last resort.
I would not recommend the ATMs in old town. If you look for an ATM of a regular bank, you will see that there are only two. All the others are owned by private providers with crazy taxes.
There are lots of colourful and cute things on the stalls, but we’ve seen the same everywhere (think Turkey, Greece and Egypt too).
I told you above where to go for wine!
With the amusement train you can easily travel between Sunny Beach and Nessebar, I personally prefer it to taxis. There are also more expensive options by boat.
Nearest airport – Burgas airport.
The nearest railway station is the one in Burgas.
Hotels in Nessebar
Booking.comHotels in Sunny Beach
Booking.comMore interesting places around that we have written about:
- Pomorie Tomb – Temple of Many Ages
- Pomorie Lake and the salt pans
- Burgas salt pans – to get salty and hot
- Becoming an islander – St. Anastasia Island, Burgas
- Stratzin Winery – French varieties and Pomorie terroir
- Wave Resort, Pomorie – happiness with children at the sea in Bulgaria