Sozopol: Old Town, Archaeology and Coastal Landscapes

Sozopol lies on a rocky peninsula surrounded by sea and land. By road, the town is about 35 km from Burgas. When planning your trip, you can choose from a range of focuses: the Old Town’s houses and museums, art and events, or coastal landscapes with protected habitats.

Archaeology, Old Town and Museums

The Archaeological Museum of Sozopol is listed as number 8 among Bulgaria’s 100 national tourist sites. Across several halls, it displays more than 1,000 exhibits on the history of the town and region. They span the period from the late 6th millennium BC to the 18th century. The collections thus bring together very early evidence and much later chapters of regional history.

Among the objects on display is a marble reliquary that contained relics of John the Baptist. It was discovered in 2010 during excavations at a medieval monastery on the island of St. Ivan. The Church of St. Cyril and Methodius in the Old Town also keeps relics of the saint, discovered on the nearby island in 2010.

The Old Town includes more than 180 houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period, built between the mid-18th and early 19th centuries. Other visible traces of the town’s architecture include restored remains of the southern fortress wall and a rectangular tower. Sozopol Art Gallery is housed in the “Old Schoolhouse,” a cultural monument in the northern part of the peninsula. The Ethnographic Museum in the “Kurdilis” House, also a local architectural cultural monument, focuses on traditional activities and crafts: agriculture, fishing, winemaking and weaving.

A separate archaeological highlight is the “St. Nicholas” Museum in Chernomorets. It displays ceramic vessels and stone and bone tools from the prehistoric settlement in the Akladi locality, dating from the 6th to the 4th millennium BC. Other finds illustrate the history of the early Byzantine fortress at Cape Akra, from the 4th to the 6th century AD, and the fortress at Cape Hrisosotira, whose stated period spans from the 6th century BC to the 14th century AD. Agricultural and traditional craft tools, as well as a display case of fishing equipment, round out the exhibition.

Art, Festivals and Activities

The art gallery hosts a sculpture plein-air event as well as annual international plein-air events for marine painters. If you are planning your trip around one of these events, it is worth checking the current dates; program details may vary. The annual Apollonia Arts Festival offers a wide-ranging program, with dozens of theatre performances, exhibitions, open-air concerts, literary evenings, film screenings, and chamber and jazz concerts featuring internationally renowned artists and ensembles. Here, too, the specific program depends on the edition.

At the Fig Festival, local women show visitors how to make preserves from green figs. Tastings include sweet and savoury fig specialties, fig brandy, fig wine and tea; offerings may vary from one edition to another. If you are interested in an active way to experience the coast, there is also a sea-kayaking route in the Sozopol area: it takes you by tandem kayak from Shell Beach to the islands of St. Ivan and St. Peter. Seasonal availability may vary.

Coastal Landforms and Protected Habitats

The Kolokita protected area in Sozopol combines rocky coastlines and fjords with marine waters and cultivated land. Near Alepu Bay, a lagoon is separated from the sea by a strip of beach with dunes. These two landscapes show different kinds of transition between land and water.

South of Sozopol, in the Kavatsi area, the Sand Lily protected area preserves one of the largest populations of the sand lily. The Kavatsi Sand Dunes protected area is also located about 3 km south of the town. It covers 24 ha and protects characteristic psammophytic vegetation; the dunes reach a height of 5 to 6 m. Access to the dunes may be restricted. The Cape Agalina natural monument in Chernomorets is characterised by rocky coastlines, fjords and high biological diversity.

Near Ravadinovo, the Bakarlaka area protects the habitat of the Hager tulip (Tulipa hageri Heldr., T. thracica) and communities of other protected and rare plant species. If you plan to visit sensitive habitats, check the applicable protection conditions in advance. Alongside the coastal and dune landscapes, this area adds another focus on rare plants and their habitat.

If you are planning a festival-related stay, check the dates for the relevant edition and factor your planned destinations into your choice of accommodation location.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ravadinovo, Sozopol, Chernomorets, Duni, Varshilo, Sredets Municipality, Malko Tarnovo, Pomorie.

Back to the regional travel overview: Burgas Province.