Nesebar

Nesebar is a coastal resort on a small peninsula along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway. The old quarter sits on the promontory and forms a compact area with churches, ruins, and traditional timber houses woven between the lanes.

Thracians founded the settlement before Greek colonists arrived in the 6th century BC and expanded it. Later the site belonged to the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire, serving for centuries as a port and trading post.

The name traces back to the ancient Thracian settlement Mesembria, later adopted by Greek colonists. Visitors today walk narrow cobblestone streets lined with restored houses often serving as boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries.

The lanes in the old quarter are steep and uneven, so wear sturdy shoes. Outside the high summer months the peninsula is quieter and more pleasant to explore, while shops and cafés remain open year round.

Some church ruins stand right at the water edge, so that during rough seas spray splashes over the old walls. This location makes the structures vulnerable but has shaped their silhouette over the centuries and made them part of the coastal scenery.