This guide complements the third step in our journey through Bulgaria:
Messembria: the Greeks at Nessebar.
How to get there. Nessebar is connected to the mainland through a man-made isthmus, which can be crossed by car or bus. The city is connected to nearby Burgas by a regular bus service from the south bus terminal. Travel time is less than one hour from the city. There are also very frequent shuttle buses from the Sunny Beach resort which sits immediately to the north of Nessebar. The city is also connected by direct bus service to Sofia: depending on which buses you take, the trip can take up to 8 hours. The fastest service is provided by the twice daily Etap bus, which makes no stops between Sofia and Burgas. By car it is only a half hour trip from central Burgas: simply follow the signs for the highway to Varna (Варна). Nessebar is 35 km north of Burgas. If you are coming from Varna, take the road to Burgas (Бургас). Depending on traffic congestion, the trip takes between 2 and 3 hours. The road climbs up the mountains before Nessebar, from which you have a beautiful view of the bay of Burgas and Nessebar. Nessebar is immediately after Sunny Beach and there are clear signs for the old city (Несебър). The nearest air gateway is
Burgas Airport which offers domestic flights to Sofia and many scheduled and chartered international flights.
City sights. The island hosts a great many churches (most of which are now in ruins), one of which houses the
Ancient Nessebar Museum. There is also an ethnographic museum, which does not compare with the better one at Kardzhali. Local boasts that at one time Nessebar had the highest number of
churches by inhabitant. A walk on the massive ramparts is also a must, although part of the walk is spoiled by the fact that there is a large parking alongside the walls on the northern part of the island. Nessebar can best be enjoyed by walking through its picturesque cobbled streets. Most of the old houses have been preserved, and a walk in the city is a very pleasant experience, especially at night or off season. There are unfortunately a disproportionally high number of tacky souvenir shops, and it may be hard to avoid the hordes of tourists from nearby Sunny Beach in summertime.
Further south you can visit Pomorie (the Anhialo mentioned in our feature on the
Greeks at Messembria), where the salt pans are still in activity. You can see them by dragging the above satelite view to the south along the coast.
Don't miss our
Nessebar pictures and
movies.
