Sozopol

In the furthest southern part of the Bourgas Bay, at a distance of 34 km from Bourgas is situated the most ancient Bulgarian Black Sea town- Sozopol. It lies on a picturesque rocky peninsula and is one of the most romantic and beautiful Bulgarian seaside resorts.
It has population of about 5000 people.

In the year 610 BC Greek colonisers from Milet settled in this area and called the settlement after their god of beauty Apollo - Apolonia. To the honour of Apollo a 13 m high bronze statue of the god was erected on the coast. Apolonia developed as a trade centre, working with the biggest ones in Hellas- Athens, Corinth and the islands Rodos, Lesbos and Hios. Proof to this were the coins of its own that Apolonia minted already at the end of 6th century BC, such as the establishment of colonies. Apolonia became an art center and the upturn continued until falling under Roman domination. The town was severely ruined and sacked and the famous statue, the proud of the town, was moved to Rome to show the triumph of the victor. It was erected on the Capitolius hill. After the collapse of Rome, Sozopol was included in the territory of Byzantium. In the year 812 Khan Krum conquered the town and annexed it to the Bulgarian territory. During the Turkish yoke the Medieval temples were destroyed. Only ground churches and small chapels have been built there ever since;some of them can be still seen. After a period of decline the old fame of the town revived in the end of 18th and the beginning of 19th century. Then was the construction of the typical Sozopol houses, featuring with stone ground floors and wood- boarded upstairs. The streets are so narrow that the oriels seem to touch each other. This romantic beauty makes a strong impression mainly on the artists - painters, poets, writers, actors, musicians.

Today Sozopol combines the ancient and the modern times, and its architecture successfully joins the old town to the new one. Its splendid beauty and artistic atmosphere attract many tourists from all over the world. A lot of hotels offer comfort ability and coziness, and the plenty of restaurants, clubs and places of amusement will give you energy and high spirits. The beach strip is wide and covered with aureate sands, tourists can rent lounges and sunshades and children can enjoy a water slide.

In the end of August each year Sozopol hosts the Apoloniq International Art Festival - one of the greatest culture events in Bulgaria.

6 km away from Sozopol is located the Duni resort, and to the road one can also visit the Arkutino swamp, covered with water- lilies and flags. Some km to the south is the mouth of Ropotamo river, which is declared a natural reserve. Tourist boats sail there.

Places of interest: Bourgas, Nessebar, Ropotamo, Silistar