Location: The town of Nessebar has about 10,000 inhabitants and extends over a small peninsula. It lies 37km northeast of Bourgas. Its beach is considered to be one of the finest along the Black Sea coast due to a large sandy strip of land between the town and the village of Ravda, covered with clean golden sand.

Nessebar is one of the most magnificent sites along Bulgaria 's coastline as it combines the ancient spirit of the past with modern infrastructure and recreation facilities. It is located on a small peninsula in the Black Sea , which is linked with the land only by a long and narrow isthmus. It has existed for more than 9,000 years. It emerged as a fortified Thracian settlement; afterwards it was a Greek polis, then a Roman colony, a Byzantine town.

Nessebur lies nestling along a romantic isthmus. Its cobble-stone streets, well kept Medieval churches and and timbered houses from the 19th century lend the place its chequered past Nessebur's churches can be best described as a cross between Sval and

Greek orthodox architecture - some of the finest in the area. Nowadays Nessebar, with its unique ancient atmosphere , gives excellent opportunity for recreation and attractions. The accommodation is centralized in well equipped family hotels and private lodgings, offering every convenience necessary for real recreation at the best prices. The numerous restaurants, night clubs, etc. meet even the most refined tastes. .

Today the spirit of the ancient market lives on with a multitude of sidewalk vendors, hawking all sorts of art work and tourist souvenirs, such as fine crochet works, knitwear, pottery, wood-carvings, paintings. The most appealing are located on the peninsula's scenic southern tip. The romantic place has cast a spell on us since we visited it for the first time in 1991 and we shall certainly return whenever we have a chance.

Nessebar is in UNESCO World Heritage List for its unique color and architecture. The town is a real museum showing the building traditions in Bulgaria with over 20 places of interest. There have been preserved valuable monuments from all ages of its thousand-year old existence. You can stroll for hours through its streets, looking at the wide choice of local street waters on offer or else head for the shade of the many churches and museums

to capture something of Nessebur's rich and exotic past. The largest number and best known buildings date from 11th to 14th centuries almost all of them churches in the so called "picturesque" style: walls intersected by pilasters and lunettes, with stone, brick and ceramic ornaments and arches along the cornice. Christ Pantokrator church (10th - 11th c.) Some of the churches have stunningly beautiful facades and interiors and are among the best preserved ones in the Balkan Peninsula . The oldest one is the Sveti Ioan Krastitel (St.John the Baptist, 10th -11th century.

The Bulgarian National Revival architectural ensemble encompasses about 60 houses , picturesquely overhanging narrow cobbled streets. The architectural design is typical of the Black Sea coast house - stone basement, wood-panelled upper floor, numerous bay windows, supported by corbels. The houses of Mouskoyani, of captain Pavel, the Bogatov house, the Rousiev house, and others, are of greater interest.

Nessebur is just 2 km north of Sunny Beach , which is one of the most beautiful and famous modern seaside resorts in Bulgaria . The complex is built on a flat terrain by a long and wide beach with fine golden yellow sand and dunes. The sea bottom is slightly sloped, suitable for bathing. There are numerous hot-water mineral springs. Hotel clusters are strewn amidst luxuriant greenery.

The Mediterranean climate of the resort, a wide semi-circular bay facing east an over 8 km long beach strip, 30-60 m wide, fine golden sand, natural dunes a clean and gently sloping sea no dangerous fish, 1700 hours of sunshine from May trough September and average daily temperature in summer 27C makes it preferable for family tourism. It offers the whole spectre of services as well as plenty of entertainments for the children.