Days Out From Sunny Beach, Bulgaria

There are plenty of activities to keep you occupied in Sunny Beach resort, but if you feel the need to travel a bit further afield, here are some ideas for places to visit.

Bourgas

Bourgas (or Burgas) is the second largest city on the Black Sea Coast. (Varna is the largest.) The port of Bourgas is the largest port in Bulgaria and includes a Duty Free Zone. The pretty Sea Gardens offer a peaceful and quiet place to stroll. With an abundance of flowers, trees and interesting statues, the park stretches down the hillside towards the sea. Inside the park you will find a casino, an open-air theatre and even a small zoo. Steps lead down from the park to the city beach.

Bourgas has a good selection of shops, from small boutiques to huge hypermarkets. If it's culture that you are seeking, Bourgas has a lot to offer:

• Art Gallery
• Drama Theatre
• Ethnographic Museum
• Museum of Nature and Science
• Opera House
• Puppet Theatre
• Regional History Museum
• St Cyril and Methodius Cathedral

Every summer, during August, Bourgas is host to the International Folklore Festival, which attracts visitors from all over the world.

Nessebar

Nessebar is founded on an ancient Thracian village which dates back to the 2nd Century B.C. Because of its strategic location, the settlement developed into a trading port which was initially called Messembria by the Greeks and later given the name of Nessebar. Architectural remains from the ancient town indicate that there were fortifications, aqueducts, an amphitheatre and a temple to the Greek god Apollo. The “old town” has a picturesque collection of buildings, many of which are now used as tourist shops and restaurants. Nessebar is reputed to have contained no less than 41 churches. Although only a few of them have survived, it still offers an interesting selection of religious buildings, such as the Basilica and the Bishop's Residence. You can also see the remains of the fortified walls and Roman and Greek pavements.

Sozopol

Like Nessebar, Sozopol offers a beautiful collection of National Revival houses and quaint cobbled streets. This ancient town, which was first inhabited by the Thracians as long ago as 4000 B.C., is now the seat of a flourishing artistic community. Like Nessebar, many of the historic buildings are now used as shops, restaurants and bars, but this does not detract from their beauty and the sense of history that pervades this cosy seaside resort. You can take a boat ride to St John's Island, which is a nature reserve and contains the remains of a Byzantine monastery.

Irakli

Irakli is one of the few natural and totally undeveloped beaches in the southern Black Sea coast. It is part of a natural reserve and is home to a variety of plant and animal species. Irakli has been the centre of an ongoing battle between would-be developers and conservationists.