Nessebar is one of the most picturesque beach destinations on Earth. It was declared an architectural and archaeological preserve in 1956.UNESCO added Nessebar to its list of world cultural destinations in 1983. The city was founded 3000 years bc by the Thracians. It contains some of the best architectural monuments from Greek, Roman, and Medieval times.
Approaching the old town of Nessebar, one descends from a hill overlooking the peninsula. A narrow winding bridge connects it to the mainland. The bridge itself, with its historic windmill, is one of the most photographed attractions in Bulgaria. Driving over the bridge, one approaches the remains of an old Roman fortress walls surrounding and protecting the city. For decades, there has always been a back-piper playing traditional Bulgarian music at the very entrance of Nessebar. This contributes to the authentic atmosphere.
Once inside the walls of the old town, one is confronted with tourism staples such as numerous cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. These are nested in streets with old renovated houses, some hundreds of years old. One can wander on a busy street with tons of vendors and then make a turn into one of the side street and end up all by themselves. Walking along cobble stone streets and passing by old ladies sitting and talking in front of their houses is a unique experience. Once they reache the end of the town, visitors are presented with a beautiful vista over the large Sunny Beach resort and its bay. The local government of Nessebar decided to build a walking path around the peninsula a few years ago. At a leisurely pace, it is about a 45 minutes walk all around town. Above the promenade are numerous restaurants with open verandas overlooking the sea. What is offered is a rich menu of Bulgarian and foreign specialties.
As most other holiday destinations in Bulgaria, Nessebar experienced spectacular growth in the last several years. Developers built doezens of what has become known as a particular type of a nessebar beach hotel (несебър почивка). The architectural style and much of the atmosphere were thankfully preserved as they were intended in the old days. Another reason for the slower than usual construction is that Nessebar does not have much space left for development. Therefore, most tourists stay in the new town of Nessebar or in the resorts nearby and flock to the old town in the afternoon and evening.