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- Destinations
- Europe
- Bulgaria
- Black Sea Coast
- Nessebar
Nessebar
North of Bourgas lies the ancient town and popular Bulgarian
holiday destination of Nessebar, located on the tip of a long and
narrow peninsula in the Black Sea. The picturesque town is one of
the oldest in Europe, emerging as a fortified Thracian settlement
over 9,000 years ago and changing hands many times before being
captured by the Bulgarians in the 7th century. Like many European
cities, Nessebar has an old town and a new town, but it is the old
quarter that gives the peninsula its character, and is protected as
a UNESCO World Heritage site. A popular tourist attraction,
Nessebar charms holidaymakers with its narrow cobblestone streets,
period wooden houses, courtyards, taverns and romantic atmosphere.
The old town is famous for its medieval churches, with beautiful
facades and well-preserved interiors that are remnants of the
historic Slav and Greek Orthodox communities. Nessebar is an
architectural and historic monument of Bulgarian culture and is one
of the most popular tourist resorts along the southern coast. It
offers a good selection of private accommodation, and the new town
has modern facilities as well as larger hotels.
Information & Facts
Activities
Nessebar has two beaches near the new town as well as the nearby
beaches of the Sunny Beach resort, which also offers all the
activities of a large-scale tourist resort. The old town is full of
architectural monuments, ancient churches and museums to
explore.
Language
Bulgarian is the official language, which uses the
Cyrillic alphabet, but English, German and French is spoken in
resorts, hotels and restaurants.
Money
The official currency is the Lev (BGN), which is divided into
100 stotinki. The Lev is tied to the Euro at a fixed rate of EUR1 =
1.955 lev. Bulgaria has strict currency regulations. If you enter
Bulgaria with cash of any currency amounting to the equivalent of
8, 000 leva or more, you must declare it to customs officials.
Foreign currency may be exchanged in banks, hotels or at one of the
numerous bureaux de change, however due to a common practice of
misleading rates of exchange it is better to go to banks or hotels
to change money. A receipt called a
bordereauxis issued when exchanging currency, indicating
the amount that will be given, and it must be kept until departure.
Not all banks accept travellers cheques and those that do usually
charge a 5% commission. Major international credit cards are
increasingly becoming accepted by tourist hotels, upmarket shops
and restaurants, travel agents and car rental agents, but Bulgaria
is still largely a cash economy. There are ATMs in the main cities
and at Black Sea resorts.
Negatives
For modern amenities and a bigger variety of holiday
accommodation it is necessary to stay in the new town on the
mainland, which doesn't have the charm and atmosphere of the old
quarter.
Night Life
Nessebar's nightlife is limited, but the mega-resort of Sunny
Beach is just two miles (3km) away and offers an excellent
nightlife for those seeking more entertainment than the quiet
holiday can offer.
Restaurants
Nessebar has no shortage of restaurants, cafés and taverns for
visitors to choose from on holiday. The most alluring restaurants
are along Roussalka and Tsar Ivan Assen Streets on the southeastern
tip of the peninsula. Neptune Restaurant is the best for fresh fish
and offers splendid sea views.
Shopping
Popular souvenirs from Nessebar include leather and textiles,
wooden toys, and silver jewellery. The street markets in Nessebar's
old quarter have a good variety of colourful mementos.
Time
Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from last Sunday in March to
last Sunday in October).