Nessebar is one of the most picturesque beach destinations on Earth. It was declared an architectural and archaeological preserve in 1956. Nessebar was added to the UNESCO world cultural heritage list 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.The mainland is connected to it via a narrow bridge. 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. Ever since people remember Nessebar, a back-piper has greeted the visitors with traditional Bulgarian music at the entrance of the town. 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. Getting from the heart of the town to its outskirts opens a spectacular view on the Black sea and the nearby resorts Sunny Beach and Vlas. The local government of Nessebar decided to build a walking path around the peninsula a few years ago. It takes about 45 minutes to walk all around the town. Above the promenade are numerous restaurants with open verandas overlooking the sea. The menus are full of Bulgarian and international dishes.

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 (??????? ???????). 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. For that reason, many of the the tourists prefer to reside in the nearby resorts and to come to the old town in the evenings.