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Sozopol

Sozopol, the oldest settlement on the coast, was founded in the seventh century BC by Ionian colonists from Miletus, who called the town Apollonia and prospered by trading Greek textiles and wine for honey and corn. Today it's a busy fishing port and the favoured resort of Bulgaria's literary and artistic set. The Church of the Holy Virgin (for opening times enquire at the Archeological Museum), built in the nineteenth century, features a finely carved iconostasis and bishop's throne, but it's the old houses that give Sozopol its charm. With space at a premium, their upper storeys project so far out that houses on opposite sides of the narrow, cobbled streets almost meet. Sozopol's Archeological Museum (Mon-Fri 8 am-4.30 pm, Sat & Sun 10 am-2 pm), hidden behind the library, should not be missed for its collection of amphoras dredged from the surrounding waters and its display of exquisitely decorated Greek vases called kraters.

The Mehana Sozopol, ul Apoloniya, and the Vyatarna Melnitsa, ul Morski Skali, are a couple of good, if touristy, restaurants - both featuring occasional live music. The Italian-influenced food at Cazanova, on the cliffside path on the east side of the old town, attracts a trendier crowd.

Photos: Konstantin Chervenivanov