Sights

Rock-formations in the Balkan Mountains, located on the territory of the municipalities of Aytos and Ruen – The Three Petrified Brothers, the Kazanite, the Professor

The Three Brothers is a rock formation in the form of human figures, which rise 200 meters above sea level in the locality of Kazanite, 300 meters east of the town of Aytos. The rock-formation the “Three Petrified Brothers" has an area of 1 ha and falls within the Natura 2000 area, part of the European Ecological Network.  It was declared a natural landmark in 1972.

The authentic atmosphere of the area is captivating – the urban folklore of fishermen with guitars is still carried here, the boats return to the ports with good catches, and the preparation of the fish is a special ritual to which more than one or two festivals are dedicated. Here you will be enchanted by the country's unique customs such as the Nestinar dances (dance barefoot on the coals), the White Kuker, the Palikosh and many others. The villagers can't wait to celebrate their holidays and welcome guests at “panagyri”, and the scenery is breathtaking.

Pomorie Lake is the symbol of Pomorie and it is associated with the balneotherapy with mud, lye and rapa (lake water), with the extraction of salt, the production of cosmetics and last but not least - as a valuable habitat for more than 60 species of endangered birds. The lagoon lies on the second largest bird migration route, the Via Pontica, and every year thousands of storks, pelicans, geese and birds of prey pass over the lake on their way from Europe to Africa. More than 270 species of feathered birds can be seen migrating, wintering, or nesting there at different times of the year.

Atanasovsko lake is part of the Burgas lake complex and to the east it borders with the Atanasovskaya spit, which is about 1 km long sand spit with the Black Sea. The lake is coastal and has rich flora and fauna, some of which is protected by the Biodiversity Act and is globally threatened. Atanasovsko lake is connected to the Black Sea by numerous canals through which it drains. For the protection of rare and endangered nesting migratory and wintering birds in the country and in Europe, the maintained Lake Atanasovsko Reserve was created.

The monastery of St. Anastasia Pharmacolitria (Healer) is the only island monastery in Bulgaria, part of which has been preserved to this day. The monastery church, bearing the name “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”, is small, but with a solid stone structure, fortified with wooden santraches (belts). The lighthouse on the island was built by a French company in 1889. A pharmacy offering miraculous herbs and potions, a monastery cell from the Middle Ages where you can spend the night, a restaurant with authentic Burgas dishes based on old recipes can be found on the island.

The largest of the five islands on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Traces of a Thracian sanctuary from the 7th century BC, an ancient Greek temple, probably dedicated to Apollo the Healer (5th century BC), remains of the monastery of St. John the Forerunner, an ancient lighthouse, and a Russian military cemetery were found there. In 2001, the islands St. Ivan and St. Peter were declared cultural monuments of national importance.

With an area of 42.3 hectares, part of the Irakli area has been declared as protected to preserve the typical coastal habitats of rare and endangered plant species, listed in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria and protected by the Biodiversity Act. They include the sand lily /Pancratium maritimum/, the sea-rush /Stachys maritima/, the sand milkwort /Euphorbia peplis/, the Tatar milkwort /Lactuca tatarica L./, the sea fan /Eryngium maritimum L./, the Pontic buckthorn /Fritillaria pontica/ and many bird species.

The air currents between the sea and the mountain in St. Vlas create a unique natural phenomenon that purifies the air. The natural sea breeze in combination with the crystal-clear air creates conditions for sea balneotherapy and has a positive effect on patients suffering from asthma and other lung diseases. The favourable climate is suitable for year-round treatment. Sunny Beach is the largest tourist complex along the Black Sea Coast. With its hotels and apartment complexes located along the seashore and hidden in greenery, Sunny Beach looks like a magical oasis.

The mouth of Ropotamo river, the sand dunes of Arcutino, the water lilies and the Lion's Head stone formation

The river, with an approximate length of about 50 km, is also a home to numerous endangered animal and plant species. In addition to mammals (red deer, roe deer, mouflons, otters and others), it is estimated that around 226 species of birds can be observed in the reserve. Of these, 8 species are globally threatened and 70 are listed in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria. 

The mouth of the Veleka river is considered one of the most beautiful places on the Black Sea Coast. It is a protected area and part of the Strandzha Nature Park. The protected area was established on 1 September 1992 with the aim of preserving the characteristic landscape of the coastal area, the rock formations and fjords, the specific xerothem transitional Mediterranean vegetation and the rich fauna.

They are in the southern part of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, 7 km south of Sozopol, on the old road to Primorsko, just after the Dunes Resort (1 km). The place is popular with the name “the driver's beach” because of the close proximity of the asphalt road to the beach. The Alepu marsh is located at the foot of the Bakarlaka and Kukuv Bair to the north and Andreya Bair to the south, opposite the bay enclosed by Cape Agallina to the north and Cape Khumata to the south.

The village of Brashlyan is located 14 km from the town of Malko Tarnovo and 64 km from the city of Burgas. In 1982, the village was declared an architectural reserve, and it includes 76 houses – cultural monuments, and 7 of them are over 200 years old. In the village you can visit the Church of St. Dimitar, the Cell School, the Balu House, the Agricultural Museum of Traditional Agriculture, the Ethnographic House-Museum, the Chapels of St. Panteleymon, St. Petka and St. Marina.

The house-museum of Stefan Karadzha in the village of Stefan Karadzhovo, Municipality of Bolyarovo is located in the centre of the village. It is declared a cultural monument of national importance. The house is one of the five similar sites in Yambol region. It was restored on the property where Stefan Karadzha's family lived. It houses an ethnographic collection. 

Genger Ethnographic Complex - alley of the old crafts, Aytos is a kind of ethnographic open-air exposition, recreating the most typical for the Aytos region folk crafts. The complex falls within the boundaries of the Slaveeva Reka Forest Park and includes an administrative building with a cafe, a tavern, a bakery and a barbershop. The following crafts are represented: pottery, brass work, applied arts, bakery, basketry.

In the exhibition hall of the museum, exhibits and interesting materials are presented from the origin and development of Anastenaria. The Nestinar dances on the embers are the culmination of the festival.

The Regional Museum of History in Burgas is the largest museum in Southeastern Bulgaria. It was founded in 1912 as a private museum of the Burgas Archaeological Society “Debelt” by a group of intellectuals and enthusiasts for revealing the historical past of the Burgas lands. The museum has a well-established and year-round tourist and educational program for the presentation of Bulgarian traditions, folklore and crafts with the participation of professional artists and amateurs.

The museum building is a cultural monument. It was built in the last two decades of the 19th century and originally housed a Greek girls' school. The museum preserves and exhibits the material part of the cultural and historical heritage of the town and the region.

From the period of the 18th – 19th century, churches and more than 180 Renaissance houses have been preserved, which create the unique architectural image of today's Sozopol. The ancient icons and magnificent carved iconostases represent the achievements of the artistic crafts of that time. 

In 1974, the Old Town of Sozopol was declared an architectural and historical reserve.

It is not by chance that Nessebar is called “the Bulgarian Ravenna” because of its numerous churches. Legends say that there were more than 40 churches there, today 15 of them are preserved, which are included in a cultural-historical route called “Spiritual Way.” The churches are open to the public and have been converted into art studios, galleries and chamber halls. They are the pearls of our medieval Black Sea architecture and have no other analogue in Bulgaria.

The Archeological museum in the town of Sozopol was established in 1978. It presents the ancient history of Sozopol and the region with materials from prehistory, antiquity and the Middle Ages – evidence of the material and spiritual culture of the population that inhabited the territory from the 5th - 4th millennium BC to the 17th century AD. Materials related to ancient metallurgy, trade and shipping, works of ancient and medieval craftsmanship are exhibited. The collection of 120 whole amphorae is interesting.

The Archeological museum in the town of Nessebar was established in 1956 and its first exposition was arranged in the church of St. John the Baptist. It is moved in its new building in 1994. Here is arranged the exposition “Nessebar through the centuries”, in which numerous monuments of culture are presented, illustrating the history of the ancient Mesambria and the medieval Nessebar. The exhibition area of the museum covers a lobby and four halls.

Brodilovo belonged to a local landlord who controlled this region of Strandzha during the Late Hellenistic period – 2nd – 1st century BC.

The church was built in 1763 and has undeniable architectural, artistic, and historical value. It was built during the Bulgarian Revival. There was a Bulgarian cell school, the only one in this Strandzha region, proof that the church was a spiritual and educational centre. A chandelier delivered from Jerusalem in the 19th century is preserved there.

One of the largest prehistoric megalithic sanctuaries on the territory of Bulgaria. The total area – the central part of the site occupies an area of about 8 decares.

A battle took place around Rusokastro fortress, which was the last great medieval victory of the Bulgarians over Byzantium before the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman rule. On 18.07.1332, Tsar Ivan Alexander defeated Emperor Andronicus III at the fortress of Rusokastro. The fortress has an area of 52 decares, making it the second largest after the fortress of Tsarevets. The excavations have been completed up to date. The ruler's tower, the barracks, the entrance to the fortress with the three gates, one of which is a “cataract” type, the passage with a tower-well have been uncovered.