Sozopol is the most ancient town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The town was founded in the 7-th century B.C. by Greek coloniser from Miletus, led by the philosopher Anaximander. The town was called Apolonia after its majestic temple, dedicated to Apollo. The temple was embalished with a 12 meters high bronze statue of Apollo , wich was made by the famous sculpture Calamis. The statue stood on a tall pedestal and could be seen by the passing ships. The prosperous town grew larger and spread to the peninsula. Herodotus compared Apolonia's outward appearance with that of Miletus and Athens. In the first century B.C. the Romans destroyed Apolonia and carried off the statue of Apollo. The place declined and it was not mentioned again until the 4-th century A.D. , under its present name Sozopol (town of salvation). In the Middle Ages the town regained something from it's past glory. In the 9-th century the town was seized by the Bulgarians for the first time and later it changed hands several times. In the 13-th and 14-th centuries it was a flourishing Bulgarian town but in 1353 year it was captured and plundered by the Genoese. One hudred years later it fell to the Turkies and was occupied by them for 5 centuries. During the Crimean War the British and French fleets used Sozopol as a base. When Sozopol was liberated from the Turkes in 1878 it was an impoverished settlement.

Today Sozopol consisits of two parts. The old part occupies the peninsula and it is best loved by artists who have immortalised its beauty on many canvases. Sozopol is quickly developing as a tourist centre. The new part of the town, conveniently near the beaches contanes many restaurants and other facilities for the numerous holidaymakers.

Area atractions:

• The unique architecture of the old town
• Archeological museum
• Museum "The south gate and the tower"
• The chirches "Sveta Bogoroditza" and "St. Georgi"
• The island of St. Cyril is joined to the peninsula by a causeway. I t is the site of the original Greek settlemente. The name of the island comes from the Medievel monastery. The building on it is a naval school
• The island of St. Ivan is the largest Bulgarian island in the Black Sea. Its lighthouse marks the entrance to the bay of Burgas. The island takes its name from an old monastery wich was completely destroyed by the Turks
• There is a thurd island called St. Petar
• The Fiordes
• The peninsulas Korenyata, Kavatzite, Aleiu
• The underwater wood
• The reserve Ropotamo