Sozopol

SOZOPOL

Established as a city more than 2600 years ago, Sozopol is located on a beautiful peninsula. The archeological excavations prove the presence of the Thracians as its first inhabitants. In the past, Sozopol was especially famous for its temple of Apollo the Healer whose 13-meter tall bronze statue is known to have been made by the Athenian sculptor Kalamis.

Sozopol is one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria

Apart from being a unique place, just a stroll around the city of Sozopol will convince you that each corner offers something more to see. The atmosphere of the city is unforgettable as it exudes antiquity and culture which are often hard to find anywhere else.

In Sozopol, you can see buildings from various epochs, each of the buildings with a history of its own. The archeological museum and the Art Gallery are one of the most frequently visited landmarks of the resort city.

There are also some antique churches from the time of the Bulgarian Revival, such as “St. Zosim” and “St. Virgin Mary” which you can find interesting. Sozopol is also famous for the houses of some famous persons who used to live and work there. At present, some of these buildings have been turned into museums. For example, the home of Dimitar Laskaridis is the famous art gallery of Sozopol, and the restaurant “Stenata” which used to be the house of Lina Psarianova has also been renovated. The old streets are a part of the Revival complex with beautiful stone fences and cobblestone patios.

The suburbs of Sozopol are as antique and interesting as the city itself. The shores around Sozopol are picturesque and rocky, with multiple cliffs and tiny beaches hidden around. Above the city, there is the Bakarlaka Hill, and nearby is the famous Snake Island. 

We reccomend: 

The archeological museum   

The area around Sozopol is a favorite place of many archeologists as the city is one of the oldest of all Black Sea areas to breed life.

St. Ivan Island

St. Ivan Island is another unique place to visit – it offers a beautiful landscape, protected species, archeological and historical monuments of cultural heritage.

It is mainly on this island where more than 70 species of birds live. You can also witness the biggest colony of the silver sea-gull in Bulgaria.

The island is located at 910 meters from the old part of Sozopol and the distance to it on a boat is a pleasant experience. That is why, if you decide to visit it, you will not be disappointed. 

St “Virgin Mary Kaleosa”

St “Virgin Mary Kaleosa” dates from the times when Christianity has been accepted as a religion equal to all pagan cults, e.g. around 330 BC. Later, a monastery was built around this church and in 1363 it was already famous as “the monastery of the tzar”. There is a second church built – that is “St. John the Baptist” used to be one of the intellectual centers during the Ottoman Yoke. Despite being plundered and fired twice, presently it is an extremely valuable cultural reference to our historic past.

Copper Hill/Meden Rid (Bakarlaka Hill)

Copper Hill/Meden Rid (Bakarlaka Hill – from Turkish: “bakar” – copper) is a faraway hill surrounding the lower hills and plains around Sozopol. It is extremely suitable for mountain-climbing and cavingе.

The fortress “Bakarlaka” is located at the top of the hill. It was built with big and old crumbling boulders which had been laid without any weld in between. The fortress area is of around 4 ares around the hill. It gives an incredibly beautiful view to the Sozopol Bay, the islands and the fields nearby.