Nessebar

For the first time I heard about Nessebar from Dmitry Krylov’s program “Non-Traveling Notes”. There, the city was presented in such a romantic manner, with beautiful old streets, where you can quite by accident hear from the window of the house how the mysterious maestro plays on Yesterday. I am not a particularly romantic person, but his tasty story bribed me. And so, as an opportunity, I decided to relax in Bulgaria, settling next to this city.

Acquaintance with Nessebar began with the fact that we drove through the modern buildings of New Nessebar and faced a road going through the sea to the island on which, in fact, Old Nessebar is located.

On the way to it there is a windmill. Nothing special, but a couple of good photos can be taken. The city itself begins with the remains of the gate and part of the wall of the ancient fortress. I will not say that I saw many fortresses, but this one did not impress me. Maybe perception spoiled the kids who climbed the ruins like monkeys.

After going inside through the main gate, we find ourselves on the street of Messembria. This is the main street of the city, there are shops, a currency exchange, souvenir shops and so on. However, the whole city is a continuous market.

Each house in Nessebar is a small trading shop. They mainly sell souvenirs, antiques, paintings, clothes. Practically people gather near each such bench, sometimes interfering with the passage, since the streets are not wide.

And then I thought how Dmitry Krylov took this city without crowds of people? On a typical day, it is impossible to hear the piano from the open window, only a hum, a din - like in the market.

But if we ignore all this, Nessebar is a quite pleasant city with its rich history and architecture. Unusual old houses of the southern type, where the lower floor is built of stone and the upper one of wood, create their own flavor.

Usually residents decorate their windows with all kinds of colors, it is very pleasing to the eye. Part of the streets is asphalted, on the other is an old cobblestone. In places with an even surface, it is convenient for mummies to walk with strollers and to move people with disabilities.

The streets are blown away, since the city is on the island, and walking on it is not as hot as, for example, in the center of Burgas. And if you get tired of walking, you can look into one of the cafes, have a tasty meal and take a breath.

How to get there

First of all, you need to get to Burgas - the largest transport hub in Bulgaria. You can get to him from Moscow by plane or by rail. Prices vary depending on the method, season and transport company. From Bourgas to Nessebar can be reached by bus or taxi.

By plane

Regular flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg fly to Burgas Airport (Sarafovo). Tickets are best bought in advance. If you take care of this 2-3 months before the departure date, you can save up to half the cost.

On average, the price of a flight from Moscow, if you take a ticket a week before departure, is 350 € or (25 thousand rubles), from the Northern capital it is 28 € (2 thousand rubles) more expensive. Serve flights Siberia Airlines and Aeroflot. You can see how much airfares will cost on dates of interest to you here.

From Bourgas airport, you can get to Nessebar by bus number 10. At the entrance to the airport there is a bus stop "Ring". That is what you need to find. You will have to wait for the bus from 40 minutes to an hour, the fare is about 3.5 € (6 BGN - Bulgarian levs). Travel time is about an hour, possibly less, it all depends on traffic jams.

There are several stops in Nessebar, near each of them tourists nest. They are located near hotels, a water park and, in fact, the Old Town itself. You can get to any place from the stop on foot or by taxi for 3-6 €.

By train

There is no direct railway connection with Nessebar. According to the old scheme, you need to get to Burgas.

From Moscow to the Bulgarian Burgas goes only one train. This is a towed carriage Moscow - Burgas, number 059М. Departs from the Kiev station at 9:30 in the morning, arrives every other day at 10:45. In total should be 2 days and 2 hours. It is necessary to cross several border points - naturally, because between Russia and Bulgaria Ukraine and Romania are located.

In connection with the events in Ukraine, I would not risk taking the train. And the mileage is rather big - almost 2.2 thousand kilometers, to this we need to add stops at all border sections, each of which lasts about an hour. So it is not surprising that the train rides so much.

Then we walk from the railway station to the Yug bus station. It is located near the central railway station in the southern part of the city: at the end of the pedestrian Alexandrovskaya street, on Queen Joanna Square, popularly known as Railway Station Square.

From the bus station to Nessebar there are buses with an interval of 30 minutes. The fare is € 1.25, 40 minutes on the way, and you are at your destination.

By car

From Burgas to Nessebar by car you can get on the highway E87. Having a card (and there are cards in any smartphone now) is difficult to get lost.

The road is good along the coast. The main thing is not to drive the turn onto Nessebar.

hint: Nessebar - time is now22: 5313 OctoberDifference in hours: Moscow & plus; 0 Kazan & plus; 0Samara & plus; 1 Yekaterinburg & plus; 2 Novosibirsk & plus; 4Vladivostok & plus; 7

When is the season. When is the best time to go?

The season is about the same as in our Black Sea resorts: from June to the end of September. At the beginning of the season it can still be rainy and cool. Well the sea warms up by the second decade of June.

In July, temperatures often rise above +30 ° C. As for me, the sun is very aggressive, it is better to stock up on creams with a good degree of protection and do not forget about hats. At sea this month there are winds that bring algae.

By mid-August, it’s not so hot, and the sea is very warm. The velvet season, it is also the velvet season in Bulgaria.

Fruits, vegetables in the markets, bars and restaurants have been selling all 4 months. Especially tasty tomatoes, peppers and peaches.

The cost of fruit rises from June to July, the difference can be one and a half times. By August, the influx of tourists is reduced, and with it prices.

If you are not only interested in beach vacations, then September is the best month for exploring all the sights, without crowds of tourists. And souvenirs can be purchased for nothing.

Here you can see how much a tour from Russia to Nessebar will cost, depending on the dates of rest.

Nessebar in the fall

In autumn, most tourists leave. The weather is still quite warm during the day, but in the evening you need to take care of warm clothes. Perhaps this is the best time for excursions and leisurely walks.

Nessebar in the spring

Spring in Nessebar will meet rainy changeable weather. Since mid-April, the temperature has become more comfortable, and there are more and more sunny days.

Nessebar in winter

Winter in the city is quite cold. Piercing winds blow. I would not recommend being there at this time of year. Moreover, there is no central heating in the houses.

Nessebar - monthly weather

hint: Nessebar - weather for the months of January January ± 2.3 February ± plus 3.2 March ± 6.5 April ± plus 11.0 May ± 15.8 June ± plus 20.3 July ± 22.4 August ± plus 21.9 September ± plus 18.9 October ± 14.4 November ± plus 8.9 December & plus; 4.5

Areas. Where is better to live

With children, it is probably better to stay in a new part of the city. Closer to the street Father Paisius. It is quiet and cheaper than in Old Nessebar, there is also a good supermarket. From here, for approximately the same time, you can reach both the city beaches of Nessebar and the beaches of Sunny Beach.

If you like parties until the morning, feel free to settle near Sunny Beach.

Some hotels do not work with Russian tourists. What is the reason for this, I do not know. Maybe because of the situation with Ukraine or there are other reasons. But there will definitely not be problems with housing. Indeed, in addition to hotel rooms, you can rent studios, apartments - there are enough offers, for example, here.

At prices I want to say that you can find housing for 30 € per day - these are small studio apartments in residential buildings. In season, the average price of a room in a 3 or 4-star hotel will be around 60-70 € per day.

Hostels in Nessebar, as far as I know, are the same 1 or 2 star hotels, just 3-4 people are accommodated in the room. It will cost from 15 € per person. But nevertheless, more often travelers who come not on a package trip try to rent apartments or studios.

I prefer hotels on hotels on Booking, and here on this link you can compare prices from different sites.

What are the prices for vacation

About housing prices, I have already said. I’ll tell you about other prices. They are very democratic, especially when compared with other European countries:

The average bill in a cafe or bar per season for one person is 8-10 € (15-20 BGN). For the money you get a salad, a hot meat dish and a drink.
Excursions such as boat trips - from 15 € (25 BGN), tickets to museums - from 2 € (4 BGN), a bus tour will cost from 10 to 50 € (20-100 BGN) depending on the destination.
Taxi prices bite - 1.5 € (3 BGN) per kilometer. Usually, on each machine, a price list is attached to the window, they go around the counter. But for some tricky drivers, the counters spin faster than the wheels. It is much more profitable to rent a car or use public transport, he goes on schedule.
Public transportation within the city costs 1 € (2 BGN).

The main attractions. What to watch

Nessebar itself is a city museum, taken under the protection of UNESCO, and this already says a lot.

Lovers of antiquity and history will definitely not be bored here, as well as photographers, artists and people of creativity. The old city immerses tourists in its atmosphere. The atmosphere is not the same as in the old cities of other countries, with a special Balkan flavor.

What to watch:

Archaeological Museum - lovers of ancient amphoras and gold jewelry.
Medieval churches - perhaps the main highlight of the city with almost three thousand years of history.
Wooden houses of the Bulgarian Revival periodbuilt in the late XVII and early XIX centuries.
Ancient amphitheater, in the summer on its stage concerts of Bulgarian music and dance are held.
BUTtoParadise Vapark, the largest in the Balkans. Almost 46 hectares of unbridled fun on all kinds of slides, in pools and aqua bars in the New City.

Sunny Beach - One of the most famous resorts in Bulgaria, located three kilometers from Nessebar. There you can find all the entertainment that was missing in Nessebar, including club nightlife :).

Beaches. Which are better

In the city

South

The beach between Nessebar and the village of Rada.

“South” is worth a visit if only because of the “Blue Flag” assigned to it. Let me remind you that this is an international award given to beaches and moorings, in which the water meets high standards and is suitable for safe swimming.

The beach has all the infrastructure: umbrellas, deck chairs, lifeguards, cafes, etc. Part of the beach is conditionally paid, that is, you have to pay for a deck chair or a drink.

A leisurely walk to the beach from the outskirts of Old and New Nessebar takes about 35 minutes. Offhand it is about 3 kilometers. Buses Nos. 3, 7 and 11 go to Yuzhny.

In the countryside

The beaches of Sunny Beach

Sunny Beach is famous throughout Europe - 8 kilometers of golden sand, a gentle slope into the sea and a lot of entertainment from diving to horse riding.

The beaches of Sunny Beach can be reached, as I said earlier, on foot or by taxi.

The beaches of Pomorie

I can also advise Vostochny beach and the so-called beach not in the spit of the town of Pomorie. Interestingly, the color of the sand on them is black.

Vostochny is a beach with all the necessary infrastructure. The most expensive places under wicker canopies will cost 25 € per day, there you can easily accommodate four.

And the beach on the spit is wild. They say that if you go a little further, you can wander to a nudist beach. I myself haven’t gone that far.

The beaches are relatively close. You can get to them by car in 20-30 minutes or by regular bus (for example, No. 11).

You can find out more about the beaches of Pomorie and Sunny Beach in another article.

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

As I wrote earlier, the most interesting in Nessebar is its medieval temples. They can be circumvented in one day. Most likely you will see them all when you walk along the streets of the city.

Church of St. Sophia I was impressed. This is the oldest church in the city, built in the 5th century on the site of the former sanctuary of Apollo. It is partially destroyed, possibly due to an earthquake. A marble slab with a quote from the Bible is mounted on the wall of the temple: “And let my cry reach you.”
Church of Christ Pantocrator - very beautiful. Orthodox, is one of the main attractions of the city. The temple was built around the XIII century and has survived to our days without loss. But just like that, partially destroyed, it looks great - a real work of architecture. Nearby there is a small square, where there is a place to take a breath in the shade of trees and admire this beauty.

The rest of the temples are also unusual and very beautiful: the Church of St. John Aliturgitos, the church of St. John the Baptist, the church of St. Stephen and others. More details can be found on the spot.

Entrance to some churches is paid - 1.5 € (3 BGN). Near the others, very intrusive sellers of some beads and ropes in their hands roam. If you gape, they will tie such a rope in your hand and require about 3 € (6 BGN).

You can book a tour or join a tourist group and find out all the details about each of the temples. And there is plenty of interesting things: these are churches without a liturgy, buildings miraculously saved during earthquakes, and ancient murals, as well as stories of miraculous healings.

Museums Which are worth a visit

As far as I know, one museum in Nessebar is the Archaeological Museum. Frankly, I was not there, and I can’t say whether he is bad or good. The most valuable exhibits are in the archaeological museum of Burgas. I think history buffs need to go there.

What to see in the surroundings

Sozopol

A beautiful ancient city with a rich history. The first settlements date back to the III-IV century BC. e. The city was influenced by Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman cultures.

It is somewhat similar to Nessebar architecture. To this day, wooden houses of the XVII-XIX centuries have been preserved. All Orthodox medieval churches were partially or completely destroyed by the Turks. An interesting fact: during the Ottoman yoke, Christians were allowed to build churches no higher than a rider on a horse. Therefore, the Church of the Light Mother of God looks like an ordinary one-story house.

Near the city walls there is the so-called vampire cemetery. During excavations near the city wall, a burial place was found - about 70 bodies, some of them were pierced by stakes. Not a single gravestone was found in the excavation area.

It is difficult to say what prompted contemporaries to recognize people buried in Sozopol as vampires. No artifacts indicating the identity or status of the deceased were found at the site.

Seaside park

I liked it very much and I recommend everyone to visit the Seaside Park of Burgas. In the 2000s, it was reconstructed, a lot of money was invested in this business, and now it is rightfully considered the most beautiful park in Bulgaria. You can spend the whole day there, and, again, next to a gorgeous beach.

There is also a large Archaeological Museum in Burgas, the street of Aleksendrovsk boutiques, the ruins of the Rusokastro fortress, the archaeological complex of Aqua Kalide ... In general, Burgas deserves a separate story.

Monastery of St. George

Unfortunately, there is nothing to see besides the monastery in Pomorie. Its historical part was destroyed and went under water as a result of an earthquake.

hint: Routes to neighboring cities Nessebar - Sunny Beach 3 km Nessebar - Pomorie 12 km Nessebar - Sozopol 27 km Nessebar - Overview 22 km Nessebar - Burgas 27 km

Food. What to try

Bulgarian cuisine is understandable and close to Russian people. Many dishes have something in common with Russian and Ukrainian. I talked about all the dishes in a separate article. Read, try ... I recommend!

I also want to note that in Bulgaria there are very large portions on very large plates. Calculate your strength.Personally, I have never been able to master the first, second and salad. Let me remind you that the average bill for all this gluttony is 10 €, or even less, if you do not eat in tourist places. In bars and restaurants of the Old Town of Nessebar, prices are higher by 30 percent.

There are markets in every city. But there are only vegetables and fruits.
There are no meat rows. Meat can be bought in special stores, they are called pickets. By the way, they are almost always sterile clean, because the meat is not chopped there. They saw him with a special hacksaw. A set of such hacksaws usually hangs on the wall.

Recommended Places

I want to talk about one place, about the Emona restaurant.

It is located on a cliff with awesome sea views. Blowing a fresh sea breeze. All the fuss of the resort town disappears, thoughts fly away somewhere far, far away. When you look at the sea horizon, one word in your head is serenity. This view is complemented by seagulls that fly so close that it seems to reach out and you will catch one of them.

Courteous staff who speaks reasonably good Russian will also be offered a menu in their native language. They cook very tasty, the menu is varied.

Prices are 15-20% higher than in a regular bar. The most expensive dishes are lobster for 90 € and a lamb on a spit, but it must be ordered in a day, the dish is designed for a company of 8 people.

I have not tried either lobster or lamb, but I can say for barbecue, for baked potatoes and fish on charcoal - you will lick your fingers.

And you can have a quick snack on every street, there are inexpensive cafes and pizzerias.

Holidays

All the season in Nessebar they hold some festivals, celebrate the beginning of summer, mid-summer, harvest and, of course, celebrate religious holidays. In August, City Day walks. Those who like to plunge into another culture, love songs, dances, folk costumes, will be interested.

One of the main holidays in the country is the Day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. Celebrated widely throughout the country on March 3.

The Bulgarians remember, thanks to whom they got rid of the yoke, and are very grateful to the Russian people for this.

Security. What to watch out for

I can say that at home "in the area" I feel more in danger than in the resort areas of Bulgaria.

I will tell you an interesting case. We stood on the promenade near the beach at night, admiring the scenery. A company of Bulgarian teenagers came ashore. “That's it,” I thought, “now there will be noise, screams, rzhach.” But nothing broke the silence of the July night. Young people behaved like in a theater: quiet, decent. It seems like a trifle, but it’s eaten into memory.

Things to do

In Nessebar itself, besides a beach holiday and sightseeing, there is nothing to do. A variety of excursions offered by local tour companies (from 10 € and above) and the cheapness of car rental (more on this later) seem to hint: "Take a car to your liking, discover Bulgaria ...".

Shopping and shops

You will not find large malls and supermarkets in Nessebar. For shopping, it is better to go to Burgas.

Clubs and nightlife

On vacation, you must definitely have fun at least once in a nightclub. There are plenty of them in Nessebar. Some of the best include clubs such as Captain Jack's Night Club and Bedroom Beach.

Captain Jack's club is housed in a sailboat that is decorated like a pirate ship. It is moored to the east of South Beach. Bedroom Beach - a rather original establishment, the club is designed as a bedroom on the beach. It has several relaxation areas, a dance floor and a bar.

A very famous club in the center of the resort, which stands out among many, is Mania. Three floors, designed for 800 people, with a cocktail bar, disco and folk club.

For those who are interested in club life and want to keep abreast of all events, I advise this site. There are addresses of clubs, the schedule of theme parties and prices.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

Bulgaria is famous for its icons, ceramics and paintings. This is exactly what I brought from Nessebar, in addition to magnets, a beer mug and linen clothes.

I highly recommend in the center of Old Nessebar one store-gallery with paintings. Located on the right side of the Church of St. Sophia. We talked with the seller, most of the paintings are written by his brother, who lives in Burgas. The theme is seascapes, painted both in oil and in watercolor. I could not resist and bought a small masterpiece there for 30 €.

How to get around the city

Buses

Buses in Nessebar run on schedule. They ply both around the city and beyond. The fare is from 1 € and higher depending on the distance of the trip.

Vehicle rental

In the city at every step there are companies involved in the rental of vehicles. Cheaper to rent a car from local. The average price for an economy class car rental in Bulgaria is 35 € per day. You can find a company where a rental week will cost 100-120 €. The longer the lease term, the more profitable it is, as elsewhere.

Some prefer to book in advance, for example, here.

From the documents, a driver’s license and a passport are enough. The price of gasoline ranges from 1 € per liter.

We rented a small SUV for 45 €. There were no complaints about the car - a clean well-groomed interior, nothing rattled and rattled.

Tips for motorists

I almost forgot to say. If you go by car to the Old Town, be sure to leave it in the parking lot. It will not be difficult to find her, everywhere signs. Otherwise, the car will be taken to the parking lot, there it is strictly with this matter.

If this still happened, and the car was rented, it is better to call Rent-A-Car, explain the situation, and clarify where the car was taken from. They will tell you where to look for it, and perhaps they will pick it up themselves at an additional cost.

Nessebar - holidays with children

The first thing I noticed at the Burgas airport was the number of children per square meter. In this way, it is very similar to Anapa Airport.

Parents with children choose holidays in Nessebar and Golden Sands for many reasons. This is a mild climate, a gentle descent into the sea and a safe bottom, vacation prices are lower, and the service is better than in the resorts of the Krasnodar Territory.