History | Travel

Visiting the Ancient City of Nesebar, the Pearl of the Black Sea

A seaside Bulgarian town with a 3,000-year-old history

Prateek Dasgupta
Teatime History
Published in
8 min readMar 8, 2024

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A boulevard in Nessebar next to the Black Sea. Photo by author.

Growing up, the beach was an hour’s drive away. Being near the sea has always felt magical. So, I didn't need much convincing when a buddy invited me to his group for a trip to Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. I had never visited the Black Sea shore and was looking forward to it.

But little did I realize I was in for a surprise.

A stone’s throw away from Sunny Beach's glamorous seaside resorts is the ancient city of Nesebar. Dubbed the “Pearl of the Black Sea,” it is indeed a gem for travelers. Even though I love going for swims and eating at seaside restaurants, my favorite thing to do is take long walks in historic places.

Our trip to Nesebar was rushed, but I recommend visiting this gorgeous town. The city has a 3,000-year-old history that lives on through its fortifications and churches. It was one of the first settlements to mint coins. The aroma of roses wafts across a bustling market tucked away among the ruins and heritage buildings.

My journey to Nesebar wasn’t typical. I was flying from Vienna and took a longer route. Before going to Sunny Beach, we stopped in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital.

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Prateek Dasgupta
Teatime History

Top writer in History, Science, Art, Food, and Culture. Interested in lost civilizations and human evolution. Contact: prateekdasgupta@gmail.com