Nessebar: the old town 5 km away
Old Nessebar — how to get there from Sunny Beach, what to see, and when to go to avoid the crowds.
Old Nessebar is five kilometres from Sunny Beach and it is the easiest excursion you can make from here — you do not need a car, you do not need a whole day and you do not need to arrange anything in advance. The peninsula has been UNESCO-listed since 1983, and within a few hectares it stacks up ancient, medieval and National Revival layers of a kind found nowhere else on this coast.
If you are in Sunny Beach for a week, this is the outing not to miss.
Getting there
Nessebar lies south of the resort, at the end of the beach.
- By bus. In summer, services along the coast road are frequent and the journey is a matter of minutes. The stops run the length of the main street.
- By tourist train. Slower and dearer than the bus, but children prefer it.
- On foot. Along the beach and then across the isthmus, about an hour and a half from the centre of Sunny Beach. Lovely early in the morning, punishing at two in the afternoon.
- By car. The car parks are in front of the isthmus, before the entrance to the old town. Cars effectively do not go into old Nessebar, and in August the spaces go early.
The journey back in the evening is the busiest moment of the day — everybody leaves at the same time. If you can, go either before sunset or a good while after it.
What to see
The old town is small and you can walk it without a map. Getting lost in the lanes is in fact the best way to see it. A few things worth making a point of:
The churches. Nessebar is known above all for these — in varying states of preservation, from ruins to working places of worship. Their distinctive masonry of alternating courses of brick and stone, with ceramic rosettes set into the facades, is what you will photograph. Christ Pantocrator on the main street is the most photographed; St Stephen’s is the one with the most striking frescoes inside.
The Revival-period houses. Timber-built, with an upper storey overhanging a stone ground floor, many of them still lived in. The narrow streets between them are why the town looks the way it does.
The fortress wall and the isthmus. The remains of the fortifications are right at the entrance — the first thing you see as you walk in.
The windmill. On the isthmus, between the new town and the old. The most photographed object in Nessebar, and deservedly so — particularly in the late afternoon, when the light comes in from the side.
The archaeological museum. Small but well arranged, and it gives context to everything else.
When to go
This is the most practical advice on the page: early morning or late afternoon.
Between eleven and four in July and August the old town is very full. The narrow streets do not absorb crowds well, and there is no shade off the sea. Leave Sunny Beach at around eight in the morning and you will find the town almost empty, with the best light for photographs.
Late afternoon is the other good option — the crowds thin, the light softens, and the restaurants start to fill in the agreeable way.
| Time | What to expect |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 10:00 | Empty, cool, the best light. Some sites not yet open |
| 11:00 – 16:00 | Fullest and hottest. Avoid if you can |
| 17:00 – sunset | Thinning out, soft light, restaurants opening |
| After sunset | Pleasant and lit, but most museums and churches are closed |
Out of season — May, September, October — none of the above applies. The town is calm at any time of day, and that is arguably the best way to see it at all.
Eating out
Nessebar is where you eat fresh fish around Sunny Beach. The restaurants along the seafront promenade have a view of the sea and prices to match; those tucked back in the lanes are cheaper and often better.
One warning that applies along our whole coast: fish is usually priced per 100 grams. The price on the menu is not the price of the portion. Ask how much the fish being offered to you weighs before you say yes — it is a perfectly normal question and nobody will take offence.
Practical
- The streets are cobbled and steep in places. Flat soles.
- A pushchair is awkward. A sling or a carrier for the smallest is more sensible.
- Shoulders should be covered in working churches.
- There is almost no shade. A hat and water, particularly with children.
- The cash machines and the shops are in the new part, before the isthmus.
Is it worth it with small children
Honestly: it depends on their age. For children under five, old Nessebar is hot, cobbled and short on things to do — half an hour and they have had enough. For older children, already interested in fortresses and ships, it is wonderful.
If you have small children and are looking for a full day out, the waterparks are the safer bet, and Nessebar is better saved for early morning, before the heat.
What else is nearby
Nessebar is the closest outing, but not the only one. Sveti Vlas is the same distance in the other direction, Pomorie is about twenty kilometres away, and Sozopol is the other old town on this coast — further off, but for many people the more beautiful. For a full day out, see day trips from Sunny Beach.
There is an overview of the resort and everything around it in the Sunny Beach guide.
Hotel Caesar Palace is in the centre of Sunny Beach, 20 metres from the beach. See the hotel or call us on +359 554 222 36.