Nessebar - old town by night

Today I am going to show you one of my favorite places on The Black Sea Coast - Nessebar. An ancient town, separated into two parts - old and new. "Nessebar" is in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town was known in the past as Mesembria in Greek and as a very important coastal city. 

Чети на български 

Basilica of the Holy Mother of God Eleusa

The town was settled at the beginning of 6th century BC. It was one of the most important strongholds of the Byzantine Empire from the 5th century AD. It was fought over by Byzantines and Bulgarians, being captured and incorporated in the lands of the First Bulgarian Empire in 812 by Khan Krum.

Church of St Stephen

The capture of the town by the Turks in 1453 marked the start of its decline, but its architectural heritage remained and was enriched in the 19th century by the construction of wooden houses in style typical for the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast during the Ottoman period.

Hagia Sophia Church

If you ever happen to go to the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, make sure to visit Nessebar. It's a place where no luxurious and expensive hotels could be seen, nor drunk tourists or loud night clubs. The authentic little restaurants with national and sea dishes will make you feel the spirit of Bulgaria. At the end of the old town, you will hear this guy (on the photo above) playing gaida (Bulgarian bagpipe).