A
welcome break from Sunny Beach, Sozopol is an ancient town offering a lovely
beach, a pretty harbour, and some ancient monuments. By the first century AD, the Greek
name Sozopolis began to appear
in written records. During the Ottoman
rule the town was known as Sizebolou.
Upon
our arrival, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at the “Del Muro” restaurant
overlooking the sea watching the sea birds fly by. The décor was most pleasant and relaxing.
 |
| The Entrance of Del Muro Restaurant - Sozopol |
The Del Muro Restaurant -
 |
| Inside Del Muro Restaurant |
We
started with the traditional fresh salad, followed by some floured and
pan-fried Safrid (a small blue fish not unlike sardines), some bonito (in
season in September) on a bed of herbed mashed potato. Some bread and fried potatoes accompanied the
seafood. 2 glasses of icy cold beer
made this meal a real delight. Teodora,
our charming table attendant provided us with a knowledgeable, fast and
attentive service all the way through.
Prices were reasonable and I would not hesitate to recommend this place
to anyone. We stayed at the Emilia
family guest house, run by Emilia herself.
 |
| Bonito on a Bed of Herbed Mash Potato |
mouth watering...
 |
| Pan-Fried Safrid |
beautiful and efficient table attendants...
 |
| Teodora, our table attendant |
Ancient Sozopol, with its
charming old town of cobbled streets and pretty wooden houses, huddled together
on a narrow peninsula is located
on a scenic bay about 35 km south of Burgas, along the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is one of the oldest
Bulgarian coastal towns.
 |
| Houses in Sozopol |
Today it is one of the major
seaside resorts in the country. It is
also a major fishing harbour for large fishing vessels. There are 2 beaches in Sozopol itself as well as a few
excellent beaches close by. The city is
divided in two parts, the Old and the modern towns.
 |
| The Small Fishing Fleet |
Larger fleets...
 |
| The Larger Fishing Fleet |
the locals...
 |
| Local Fishermen at Work |
the beaches...
 |
| One of the Beaches in Sozopol |
long white sands...
 |
| The other Main Beach at Sozopol |
Since 1984 Sozopol hosts the Apollonia art festivities every
September. Named after one of the town's
ancient name, the festival includes theatre shows, exhibitions, movies, musical
& dance performances, book presentations and other cultural events.
 |
| Bulgarian Traditional Costume |
Bright and colourful...
 |
| Another Traditional Costume |
The busiest times of the year
are the summer months, ranging from May to September as tourists from around
the world come to enjoy the weather, sandy beaches, history & culture, the fusion
cuisine of Balkan and Mediterranean influence and the gentle atmosphere of the
colourful resort.
 |
| A Church in Sozopol |
varied architecture...
 |
| The Remparts Following the Sea Shore |
Sozopol is one of the oldest
towns on Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The
first settlement on the site dates back to the Bronze Age. Undersea explorations in the region of the
port have revealed relics of dwellings, ceramic pottery, stone and bone tools
from that era. Many anchors from the
second and first millennium BC have also been discovered in the town's bay, a
proof of active shipping since ancient times.
The town established itself as a trade and naval centre in the following
centuries. The symbol of the town, the
anchor, present on all coins minted by Apollonia since the sixth century BC, is
proof of the importance of its maritime trade.
 |
| Sozopol's Past History |
Fascinating Ruins...
 |
| Sozopol's Historic Remains |
After
a comfortable night at Emilia’s Guest House, we went to the “Doctor’s House”
restaurant overlooking the sea. There,
we enjoyed a tasty English breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomato, baked beans (yes
baked beans in Bulgaria!!!), mushrooms, orange juice and tea – Valentin was
keen to try one of these breakfasts.
 |
| The Doctor's House Hotel and Restaurant |
Delicious food met with a wondrous view...
 |
| The View from out Breakfast Table |
We
then headed for a location not far from Sozopol where some rich Bulgarian
businessman built a medieval castle - the Ravidinovo Castle. How
can I describe this place? It was not
yet completed but already open to the public.
It was a mixture of Disneyland, Michael Jackson’s fairy land and a
strong feel of Bulgarian Middle Ages fantasy complete with Knights dining room,
king’s throne etc…
 |
| The Medieval Ravidinovo Castle |
Inside the Ravidinovo Castle...
 |
| The Knights' Dining Room - Ravidinovo Castle |
another grand structure within the castle...
 |
| Not sure what this was supposed to be... |
The luxurious throne..
 |
| The Thrones Room - Ravidinovo Castle |
Lots
of fountains, lakes with black & white swans watched over by a concrete
crocodile. Gardens all heavily decorated
in a rather gory fashion. If not the
most amazing place I have ever been, it was at least interesting to see how far
the human imagination and taste can go.
 |
| One of the many fountains at the Ravidinovo Castle |
beautiful gardens...
 |
| A Bridge over one of the Lakes - Ravidinovo Castle |
 |
| One of the many Resting Area in the Gardens - Ravidinovo Castle |
The Lake...
 |
| The Swans and the Concrete Crocodile in the Background - Ravidinovo Castle |
the Knights uniform...
 |
| Knight on Guard - Ravidinovo Castle |
 |
| The Black Knight - Ravidinovo Castle |
My
next stop was Burgas, the 5th most important cities in
Bulgaria. I needed to purchase a new
mouse for my computer and took the opportunity to walk along the gardens
bordering the beach. We left soon after
to return to Dragoinovo after a wonderful discovery tour of the Black Sea Coast
of Bulgaria. Valentin, you were
wonderful and I enjoyed the time spent with you. Thank you so much for your knowledge, your
company and good humour. I hope we can
do it again sometime.
 |
| The Beach as Burgas |
 |
| Walking Platform on the Sea - Burgas |
 |
| Young Men Diving off the Platform - Burgas |
 |
| The Burgas Gardens - View from the Platform |
a Sea Side Sculpture...
 |
| Sculpture of a Fisherman - Burgas |
A wonderful place, with so much to see.
Join me again soon on my next tour
No comments:
Post a Comment