← Varna Marathon·2 nights

Nesebar: Churches and Cobbles on a Rocky Peninsula

A UNESCO-listed old town on an 850 m peninsula, with medieval churches, cobbled lanes and two nights to see them at post-marathon pace.

Duration2 nights
TransitDirect coach from Varna Central Bus Station (listed as Nessebar on timetables)
DepartsVarna Central Bus Station

After the Varna Marathon: Nesebar

The Route: Varna → Nesebar → Burgas Airport (BOJ) Logistics: Direct coach from Varna Central Bus Station to Nesebar, then a short transfer to the airport. Two nights in one base. Marathon Month: May Duration: 2 nights

Varna Central Bus Station ──(direct coach)──> Nesebar old town
                                                    │
                           Burgas Airport (BOJ) ◄───┘
                           (taxi or bus, check timetable)

The Varna Marathon finishes on a Sunday in mid-May, and Nesebar is a better second stop than a second city. The old town stands on a small rocky peninsula about 850 m long and 350 m wide, joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. It was declared a reserve of national importance in 1956, and UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1983. Fortress walls, early Christian basilicas, imperial baths, Renaissance houses and windmills are packed into an area you can cross on foot in about ten minutes.

May in Nesebar: in most years this is before the summer crowds. The sea is cold, and some seasonal restaurants and boats may not have opened. Seasonal coach changes also matter. One Varna to Nesebar departure at 12:30 was suspended in a recent notice, so a summer timetable should not be assumed for May. Confirm the coaches at the Varna bus station or at autogaravn.com, and check the spelling on the timetable, which uses Nessebar.

Take a direct coach from Varna Central Bus Station, where the luggage room is open until 19:00. If no workable coach runs on your day, a pre-booked private transfer is the fallback. Luggage goes in the coach hold, and a short taxi from the stop to your lodging avoids dragging bags over the cobbles.

Nights one and two: Nesebar

The cobbles are the problem. The old town's lanes are narrow, winding and made of stone, and on legs that ran 42.2 km the day before they feel longer than they look. Plan short circuits of 20 to 30 minutes, sit between them, and treat the churches as the reason to stop.

The Church of St Sophia, also called the Old Metropolis, is one of the best-preserved basilicas. The Church of the Virgin Eleusa holds an icon that King Ivan Alexander had silver-plated. Others on the peninsula include St John the Baptist, St Stephen's (the New Metropolis), Christ Pantocrator, St Todor, St Paraskeva, St Archangels Michael and Gabriel and St John Aliturgetos. Entry prices are posted at each door and vary by church, so buy tickets as you go and do not try to see them all on one afternoon. Two tourist information centres, one in the new town and one in the old, can give opening hours.

The second day can be slower. Walk the edge of the peninsula by the water, look at the windmills and the fortress wall, and have a long lunch.

Where to stay: decide between a room inside the old town and one on the mainland side. Inside the peninsula you walk to everything, but luggage crosses the isthmus and the lanes. The mainland side is easier for taxis and coaches but puts a walk between you and the churches. Book a refundable room and ask about luggage storage.

Where to eat: the peninsula's restaurants face the water and serve fish. Choose a table with a view of the harbour, and book ahead for a group.

Getting to Burgas Airport

The nearest airport is Burgas Airport (BOJ). Check for a bus or arrange a taxi the day before, because a Sunday or early flight can leave no public option. If your flight leaves from Varna instead, take the coach back to Varna Central Bus Station and use bus 409 to Varna Airport (VAR), which the airport quotes at under 20 minutes from the centre.