Eski Şehir Nesebar

Eski Şehir, meaning the Old Town, is the very historic heart of Nesebar, one of the oldest settlements on the Black Sea coast. Founded in antiquity as a Thracian and later Greek colony called Mesembria, the peninsula passed through Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian rule, preserving successive layers of history. For its wealth of monuments, the old town is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

What you'll see Old Nesebar is renowned above all for its large number of medieval churches, many in picturesque ruin, with the decorative brick-and-stone masonry typical of the late Byzantine school. Alongside them you'll find traditional houses with stone ground floors and timber upper storeys, workshops, traces of ancient walls and the windmills at the entrance to the peninsula. The narrow, cobbled lanes slope down everywhere towards the sea.

Practical It is easily reached from Sunny Beach by a short road, covered by local bus, car or boat along the bay. The most pleasant times are early morning or towards evening, when the heat and crowds ease. Set aside at least a few hours to wander unhurried among churches, terraces and sea views.