Sozopol is a well-known resort on the Black Sea coast, called the cultural capital of the Bulgarian Riviera. It is the oldest coastal city in Bulgaria, whose history dates back to times even before the Bronze Age.
Although in recent years this resort has strongly developed its holiday tourist base, you can still find places where it is quiet and climatic.
Sozopol was once a thriving seaside port, which was also an important commercial center, and the name changed over time.
Initially it was called Antheia, then the Greeks gave it the name of Apollonia (from the the statue of the god Apollo standing at the city gates), then Apollonia Pontica, and from the 5th century the name Sozopolis was in use. In the hands of the Ottoman state, his name was Sizebol, to return to the Bulgarian borders to take the name Sozopol – which means the city of salvation.
Location of Sozopol
Sozopol is about 30 km away from Burgas, and it is more than 70 km away from such a popular Sunny Beach.
However, it is here that native Bulgarians come to rest.
Holidays and vacation in Sozopol
Sozopol is the perfect holiday destination for those who want to experience peace and holiday relaxation. Even at the peak of the season, it is not so crowded here.
For Bulgarians Sunny Beach and Golden Sands are an artificial commercial product. For them, the real climate of a seaside town is in Sozopol.
And there is something to it, because walking among the narrow, cobbled streets that surround old houses, remembering the ancient times, you can feel like in another era.
This is a favorite place of artistic bohemia, where every corner of the old city is worth memorizing on a photo or canvas. Life goes on here at a slow pace, regardless of tourist traffic.
This resort competes with the nearby coastal city of Nessebar, so it’s worth knowing that holidays in Sozopol will generally be a little cheaper. This applies not only to accommodation, but also to food and souvenirs.
Accommodation in Sozopol: Hotels, apartments and private accommodation
Sozopol is divided into two parts: the northern one, which covers the entire old town, along with historic stone and wooden houses, lots of restaurants, pubs, souvenir stands and local products, and the southern part, relatively newly created together with hotels and other accommodation facilities and sandy beaches .
You can find accommodation mostly in three and four-star hotel facilities, but it is also possible to rent an apartment or room in a private accommodation.
For larger groups, renting the entire holiday home or villa may be more beneficial. Most facilities have a swimming pool, air conditioning and wifi.
In the vicinity of Sozopol there are also several campsites and with quite decent conditions, which is not so common in Bulgaria.
Prices in Sozpol
Sozopol is definitely a smaller and less known resort than Golden Sands or Sunny Beach. For this reason, it should be a little cheaper here. As for accommodation, but also food out of town and travel souvenirs.
Prices of food, alcohol and tobacco in stores in Sozopol are as follows:
- milk 1.50 lev per liter
- eggs 2 lev for a dozen
- bread 0.60 lev for a loaf
- cheese from 5 lev per kg
- bananas 1.90 lev per kg
- potatoes 0.70 lev per kg
- rice 1.60 lev per kg
- water 1.5l 0.70 lev
- beer 1 lev for half a liter
- wine 6 lev for the bottle
- cigarettes 5 lev per packet
Prices of food, drink and alcohol in pubs and dinners at restaurants:
- big banica (yeast cake) 1.50-2 lev
- muffin 50 stotinka
- espresso 50 stotinka
- medium kebab 4 lev
- fries 3 lev for portion
- soup approx. 2.20 lev for portion
- three-course meal in a cheap pub (soup, main course and dessert) 7 lev
- cappuccino from 1 lev
- small water 1.10 lev
- beer for half a liter 1.30 lev
- drinks 7-10 lev
Other current prices in Sozopol:
- deck chair on the beach 7 lev per day
- beach umbrella 7 lev per day
- public toilet 1-2 lev
- guarded car park 2 lev per hour
- boat trip (approx. 1 hour) 10 lev
- ticket to the archaeological museum 7 lev
- ticket to the ethnographic museum 4 lev
- accommodation from 20 lev in high season
Tourist attractions in Sozopol. Sights and sightseeing attractions.
The town has its charm and undeniable atmosphere. Centuries of history have been reflected here especially in the old part of Sozopol. However, what attracts tourists to this resort the most is the slow pace of life going on here and the sandy beaches.
Sandy beaches in Sozopol
There are two beaches in Sozopol, the main one is located between the old and new parts of the city. The other is already located in the hotel part of Sozopol and is called Harmani. Both are developed and you can rent deck chairs with umbrellas or spread your own towel.
The area is also less frequented beach – Golden fish – calm, with a shallow entrance to the sea, but paid. There is a diving school and windsurfing club in the city, you can also rent floating equipment – among others a pedalo, a motorboat or try water-skiing. The youngest will definitely enjoy a visit to the local water park – Aquapark Neptun.
You should also remember that Sozopol is the cultural capital of the coast and the Apollonia Arts Festival takes place here annually. In its time you can watch performances and concerts in the open air and film screenings. Then you can also admire exhibitions of the works of Bulgarian painters and photographers and participate in the literary evenings of poets and writers.
What is worth visiting and seeing in Sozopol?
Within the old part of the city, there are certainly old houses (wooden with a stone basement) from the 18th and 19th centuries, of which about 180 have been preserved here.
From the sacred buildings, the church of the Holy Mother of God is worth visiting, which is a great example of how the old law on building churches lower than a rider on horseback was bypassed. Inside you can admire the beautiful icons painted on wood.
The city also has the chapel of Holy Sunday and the chapel of St. Zosim, as well as the church of St. George and the youngest church of St. Cyril and Methodius, in which the relics of John the Baptist were deposited.
Museums in Sozopol
As for museums, the Archaeological Museum with a collection of exhibits from the Thracian and Greek times (ceramics, coins, anchors extracted from the sea) and the Ethnographic Museum where we will see an exhibition of costumes and crafts, peoples living here from the 19th and early 20th centuries are definitely worth visiting. .
As for the nearest area, it is worth going on a cruise to the nearby island of St. John (Sveti Ivan). It is entirely a nature reserve, where you can see the ruins of a 10th-century monastery and a lighthouse from 1884. It is inhabited by over seventy species of birds, but also a rare variety of the seal species – monk seal. Next to it is the smaller island of St. Peter, called the bird island.
It is also worth visiting the nearby Ropotamo Reserve located 17 kilometers south of Sozopol. You can stay here surrounded by wildlife – wetlands, bogs and rock formations, where boat cruises on the river for tourists are organized.
Souvenirs from Sozopol or what to buy
In Sozopol, like everywhere, when it comes to souvenirs, Chinese trash reigns. What is interesting is definitely hand-made lace by older Bulgarian women and preparations of rose petals or figs.
It is also worth getting to know the local alcoholic liquors: rakija in various flavors and Bulgarian wine (white, rose, red).
You cannot leave Sozopol without even a single cosmetic product based on rose oil. A nice souvenir will also be a picture of old houses, burned on a piece of wood, to get in a side street of the old part of the city.
How to get to Sozopol?
The easiest way to reach Sozopol is to land in Burgas, where the nearest airport is located. Then just take the bus line directly connected to this resort. You can also get here by your own car, but it is better to choose a route through Serbia than through Romania, because the roads there are in better condition.
Long-term weather in Sozopol
The summer season in Sozopol lasts from June to September, while this last month is fully dependent on the weather. In September, of course, it is still warm and the water in the sea is warmed up, but rainy days may already occur, and some of the stalls and diners may close slowly.
However, June, July and August will definitely guarantee a successful long-term weather in Sozopol. The temperature in Sozopol during the day then exceeds 25 degrees, and in July it reaches even 30. The number of sunny hours per day is from 9 to 11. The sea, however, heats up to an average of over 20 degrees, and in August up to 25.
Opinions about holidays in Sozopol
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