Pomorie – information, landmarks and beaches

Pomorie is the third-largest city on the Black Sea coast after Varna and Burgas, and one of its main branches is tourism. It has excellent conditions for a seaside holiday combined with historical and natural landmarks. Its location near the Pomorie Lake provides opportunities for walking along the eco-trail as well as watching of rare birds. Moreover, Two specialised sanatoriums and some spa hotels offer mud baths with the unique healing mud and lye from Pomorie Lake, which attracts thousands of visitors year-round. The city is also attractive to wine connoisseurs – there are several wineries here that organise tasting dinners, and a wine festival takes place here summertime. In general, Pomorie is a suitable destination for families with children as it is a peaceful resort.

The best things to do in Pomorie – map, landmarks and beaches



USEFUL: For planning your visit to the place or accommodation in the nearby settlements, can use the collection of assistive tools – Google Road Map with calculator in km, flights to Bulgaria, rental cars, weather forecast, hotel search, timetables of buses in the region, see this link.

The town is 20 km north of Bourgas, 18 km south of Nessebar. There are regular buses to the neighbouring cities as well as a bus to the capital. The proximity of Sarafovo Airport, which is only 8 km away, makes Pomorie even more accessible, especially for foreign tourists. Pomorie, besides, offers a wide selection of accommodation – hotels, guest houses, small family hotels, lodgings, villas, bungalows.

There are many restaurants, fast food pavilion, bistros, pizzerias, bars, and pubs to satisfy every taste. Greek taverns also enjoy particular respect, since in the past the town was inhabited mainly by Greeks. Of course, in them, under the sounds of Greek music and sirtaki, you can eat fresh black sea fish and seafood prepared according to traditional Pomorian recipes.

Besides, for the entertainment of tourists, there are many attractions available here, including a boat or train coaster ride, amusement park, water skiing, water wheels and more. Together with them, the newly built water park at the beginning of the city can be additional entertainment.

The beaches of Pomorie


The beaches of Pomorie are two – East and South.

The East Beach

The “East Beach” starts from the old town and is one of the longest along the Black Sea coast – the total length is 9 km and reaches the village of Aheloy. Of these, 3 km is guarded by lifeguards that take care of the safety of the visitors. Moreover, the beach is a certificate holder for clean waters – “Blue Flag.”

The beginning of the "East Beach" in the "Old Town" of Pomorie
The beginning of the “East Beach” in the “Old Town” of Pomorie. The photo shows the first breakwater of the series. For this reason, this beach is also called the “First Beach”. Besides, immediately next to it are the old houses in Pomorie.

The Central Beach

A section of the East Beach near the Grand Hotel Pomorie. The locals call this stretch "Central Beach".
A section of the East Beach near the Grand Hotel Pomorie. The locals call this stretch “Central Beach”.

Its location is along the sand strip about 1.5 km after the “First beach” in the northwest direction. Consequently can reach it by foot beginning from the “First Beach” along the sand strip.

The "Central Beach", Pomorie, near the Grand Hotel Pomorie
In case the sea is calm, the “Central Beach” is suitable for swimming with children, as the waters are shallow.
A small beach near "Central Beach"of Pomorie, which the locals call "The Pump"
A small beach near “Central Beach”, which the locals call “The Pump” because of the old small building, that before had a function of pump facility. For exact location, see the attached above map.
The end of the guarded part of the "East Beach"
The end of the guarded part of the “East Beach.” Here, the sand is unusually black because of the iron oxides in it. To the left is the Pomorie Lake, from where some tourists get healing mud and make mud baths by themselves. There are holiday bungalows along the paved section.

Further, the remaining 6 km is an unguarded area and part of the Pomorie Lake Protected Area. Around that part, there is a hiking trail, which is also suitable for cycling.

As a matter of fact, the sand strip that separates the lake from the sea is the longest along the South Black Sea coast. After it, in this rating is followed by the sand strip of the “Chauffeurs’ Beach” near Sozopol which is 3 km long.

The South Beach

Location of the “South Beach” is in the New part of town, it is only 800 m long, but unlike the “East Beach”, the width is more significant.

The "South Beach" in the "New Town" of Pomorie
The beach in the “New Town” of Pomorie. Also called “South Beach.”

The port of Pomorie

Its location is near the city centre and is a trendy place for walking. In addition to the many fishing boats along the coast, many yachts and fishing vessels dock here. Yachts regattas take place here in the summer. Also, in the summer, there are boat trips that can get you out for a scenic walk around the town, reaching the Pomorie lighthouse (1 km from the shore) or the new part of the city. During the morning hours, there are also longer trips reaching the island of St. Anastasia (near Bourgas) or the town of Sozopol.

 View of the fishing boats and the harbour of Pomorie
View of the fishing boats and the harbour
The beginning of the port and one of the ships for a trip
The Pomorie lighthouse, which is a navigational marker for passing ships
The Pomorie lighthouse, which is a navigational marker for passing ships. It lays 1 km from the land

Yavorov monument

Near the port are the Yavorov’s rocks, named after the poet Yavorov, who spent one year (1899-1900) in Pomorie from his life. While contemplating the sea around these cliffs, he finds the inspiration for his first works, with which he became famous and got the pseudonym Yavorov. In his honour every summer in Pomorie take place the poetic concourse “Yavorov days”.

The monument of the poet Yavorov in Pomorie
The monument of the poet Yavorov in Pomorie is identical to those in the towns of Chirpan and Sofia

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Landmarks in Pomorie

The Thracian tomb

The oldest building in Pomorie, dated to the III-IV c AD is the Thracian dome tomb at the beginning of the city. As a matter of fact, it is the most massive Thracian tomb on the territory of Bulgaria. Its architectural design is without analogue, and its visit is invariably accompanied by astonishment at the skill of the ancient masters.

The Thracian dome tomb at Pomorie
The Thracian dome tomb inside

The old houses and old church

In the old town, in the easternmost part, there are few surviving wooden houses, preserved during the great fire that struck the city in 1906. They were declared as an architectural reserve, and next to them there is a 300-year-old church. It is active and complements the old-looking appearance of the place. Its name is “The Transfiguration of God”.

The "Old Houses" architectural reserve in the "Old Town" of Pomorie
The “Old Houses” architectural reserve in the “Old Town” of Pomorie. This area of the city is so-called “The Greek quarter”
Another view of the old houses in Pomorie
Another view of the old houses. More detail about their architectural layout plan can obtain from the Pomorian History Museum.
 The Church, "The Transfiguration of God" in Pomorie
The Church, “The Transfiguration of God”, is located next to them. Here is the easternmost part of the city.

The centre of Pomorie

In the centre of the town is the largest church on the territory of Pomorie – “Nativity of Theotokos”. It is the place where Pomorians gather at Christian holidays, solemn liturgies, weddings and baptisms. It was built at the end of the XIX century.

The church "Nativity of Theotokos" in the city centre
The church “Nativity of Theotokos” in the city centre
The centre of Pomorie, Bulgaria
The centre of the town is a pedestrian zone
In the distance, you can see an old building with a dome and clock, where in the past was the city bank.
Near it is a modern and new community centre building, in whose hall performances and concerts take place. On the stage in front of the building, the summer festivals take place. Those are “Sea Week”, “Wine Days” and “Yavorov days”, and they are additional entertainment for tourists.

The monastery “St. George the Victorious

And in the new part of town (popular with locals as the “New Town”) is the operating monastery “St. George the Victorious.” In the yard of the monastery, there is a spring with holy water, about which local people believe it is healing. In its present appearance, it was built in the middle of the XIX century, but probably the first monastery was built here even in the 7th century. It is supposed that earlier there had been a Thracian sanctuary here.

The monastery "St. George the Victorious" in Pomorie
The monastery “St. George the Victorious.” Many believers come here on St. George’s Day when it is Pomorie’s holiday.

The Museum of Salt

As a matter of fact, it is one of a kind in Bulgaria and is present in the Bulgarian list of “100 Tourist Sites”. Here you can see the technology used by the medieval Pomorians to extract sea salt. The Museum has 20 acres of salt pans and an exhibition hall with models of the facilities used in the process.

The “Museum of Salt” in Pomorie, located on the shore of Pomorie Lake
Piles ready salt, in front of the "Museum of Salt", Pomorie
Piles ready salt, in front of the Museum

Further, next to the Salt Museum is the Pomorie Lake Visitor Information Centre, where you can observe rare birds and obtain detailed information about the Pomorie Lake, the protected animal and plant species that inhabit the area.

Sunset over Pomorie Lake
Sunset over Pomorie Lake. The view is of the sand strip separating the lake from the sea.

There are two sanatoriums and spa hotels on the banks of Pomorie Lake that offer mud treatment.

Museum of History and a brief history of the city

The old name of the town is Anhialo, and this name had been used since Antiquity until 1934 when it got the name Pomorie. There are several versions of the name’s origin. One of the most popular thesis is that the name closely resembles the word “anhiello”.It literally from Greek means “by the shallow sea” – shallow are the shores of present Pomorie.

Antiquity

Historians suppose that initially there was a Thracian settlement, and subsequently, the inhabitants of Apollonia (present Sozopol) came here and created their colony. That happened in the 5th-4th centuries BC, and it is officially accepted as the period when ancient Anhialo was established. The finds from that time are very scarce, and mainly the descriptions of historians contemporaries are used as a source of information. There is no data on the relationship between the Thracians and Apollonians lived here. The settlement was an excellent strategic location because it allowed the Apollonians to monitor to the north where it was Messambria (Nessebar) and to prevent their ships from accessing the Southern Black Sea. Later, in the 2nd century BC, at Anhialo, there was already a stable fortress wall.

Economic boom during the Roman period

During Roman rule, which began in the 1st century AD, the city flourished and became a large regional city – the centre of a strategy. Unlike Apollonia, the local population voluntarily welcomed the Romans and thus won their condescension. Another reason for the city’s expansion is its easy access by land – the surrounding area of ​​Anhialo is plain. Access to Apollonia, for example, was more difficult because of the hilly terrain, and sandy deserts and swamps surrounded Mesambria.

The city was called Ulpia Anhialo, and its urban planning was typically Roman – with perpendicular cobblestone streets. Large-scale trade was carried out here – archaeologists found coins from all over the ancient world. Anhialo’s primary commodities were wine, fish, timber, grain and other crops. Both then and now the Pomorie field was extremely fertile. According to historians at that time, the city was even more significant than Apollonia and Mesambria combined. At that time, the location of Anhialo was in the Paleokastro area (where the new part of the town is) and Lake Pomorie, which then was land.

In the last few years, archaeologists found many artefacts during the reparation of the water supply network in this part of the city, from Roman times and now exhibited in the Pomorian History Museum.

Pomorie Historical Museum

The building of the "Historical Museum", located in the Old Town of Pomorie
The building of the “Historical Museum”, located in the Old Town of Pomorie. It was built at the end of XIX century and initially used for girls’ high school. It was declared a cultural monument.

Of particular interest are the Roman bath mosaic and fragments of columns. The museum can also see many other finds discovered in other studies – coins, amphorae, anchors from the Bronze Age and even mammoth tusks from prehistoric times

During Roman rule, the Thracians inhabited the city and even had a vote in its management. The existence of Thracian mounds, including the Thracian domed tomb in the outskirts of the town, testify to their presence. In 1975, a precious find was discovered in the area – a gold ornament by a Thracian priestess and a healer, Leseskpra, who lived between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. At present they can be seen only in the museum in Burgas.

The Middle Ages

In VI-VII century AD a significant disaster struck Anhialo – an earthquake that caused a lowering of the level of city in its northwestern part. That led to an invasion of seawater, and as a result, buildings, fortresses and a port were flooded and destroyed. Probably, a large part of the population has moved to the near Apolonia and Messambria, and those who stayed here, begun rebuilding their homes, where is the “Old town” now. In the place of the sunken city, a shallow-water bay formed, which after several centuries was enclosed by sand strip, accumulated of sediment from the sea currents. The loch created in this way was Pomorie Lake. It is supposed that at its bottom there are many finds, but as it is a protected area – studies cannot be done.

Thanks to the newly formed lake, the town acquired another branch, which brought back the Anhialo’s previous glory and wealth for centuries to come – salt production.

In the 9th century, the town became part of the Bulgarian state, but in the following centuries many battles with Byzantium were fought, and the Byzantines often conquered it. In 1453 ottomans captured the city, that marked the beginning of the Ottoman rule.

During the Ottoman rule, the city retained the status of a port city and regional centre. It was also one of the largest salt extraction centres in Thrace.

A new story

Until the XIX century, Anhialo had been one of the most important cities along the Black Sea before Burgas flourished. Then, the main population of the town were Greeks, and the only Greek language was spoken here. Because of tension in the political relations between Bulgaria and Greece in the early XX century, the town is deliberately set on fire. Because of that, as a result, many of the population emigrated to Greece, where they created a new city called “Nea Anhialo” (New Anhialo). The descendants of those who stayed here, now live in the “Old Town”, also called the “Greek Quarter.”

Despite its long history, the city has repeatedly suffered from other fires, which is why there are few preserved old buildings.

Continue of the walk

Among other things, in case you visit Pomorie, do not miss to see:

  1. Thracian Dome Tomb
  2. Hiking trail between the Pomorie Lake and the sea
  3. Pomorie Lake Visitor Centre where can watch birds with provided binoculars

Besides, the nearest fascinating cities with landmarks are:

  1. Nessebar (20 km to the north) with its unique old atmosphere and many preserved historical buildings
  2. St. Vlas (25 km to the north), which has a mountain hiking trail with sea views. The path has different branches, and one of them leads to the resort village of Elenite
  3. The regional city of Burgas (20 km to the south) and Poda Bird Watch Center (30 km)

USEFUL: To get a quick and easy idea of ​​where these places are – see the destinations marked on our Google map. There all the landmarks we’ve written about, are marked as tags with links.

To plan your trip to them, you can use the selection of assistive tools: Google Road Map with calculator in km, flights to Bulgaria, rental cars, weather forecast, hotel search, timetables of buses in the region.

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