Living in Sozopol in Bulgaria

The ancient and stunningly beautiful town of Sozopol on the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for international tourists – so far in 2007 the town’s tourism body has announced that visitor numbers are already up well over 10% on 2006’s figures for example.

The increase in attention that the town is receiving has naturally led to a number of expatriates settling down and actually permanently living in Sozopol in Bulgaria, and so we thought we’d share with you the delights of the town and the surrounding areas in case you’re looking for a new base on Bulgaria’s beautiful coastline.

The town of Sozopol is famed for its annual arts festival – the Apollina Festival of Arts takes place over the first ten days of September every year and is like a mini Edinburgh Festival as it showcases new and established international talent in everything from art and literature to comedy, theatre and dance.

It was the founding of this festival over twenty years ago that originally raised international interest in this, one of the most ancient towns in Bulgaria.  Since then the charms of the town and the beauty of the surrounding area has drawn such international stars as Brad Pitt, Ralph Fiennes and Angelina Jolie to become regular visitors – and when you first visit Sozopol you can see why the town now draws increasing numbers of expatriates who want to be living in Bulgaria.

Sozopol is the gateway to one of the most beautiful areas of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coastal region – and it is also within easy reach of Bourgas International Airport which means that it ticks all the accessibility boxes and it has a wealth of beautiful natural attributes such as its pristine sandy beaches, hidden coves and direct accessibility to the Stradja National Park Reserve to entertain and delight residents and tourists as well.

In addition to these features the town itself is home to plenty of bars, restaurants, shops and it has a bustling and charming atmosphere.  The cuisine and much of the ambience is regarded as ‘fusion’ inspired – i.e., it stems from a fusion of Bulgarian, Turkish and Greek influences and flavours and it makes living in Sozopol in Bulgaria a rich experience.

If you’re looking for a resort that is away from the sun, sea, sand and English breakfast culture embodied by Sunny Beach, if you’re looking for a town that has everything you need to actually live comfortably in it and you’re looking for a culturally, aesthetically and historically rich environment – consider living in Sozopol in Bulgaria. 

The best times to visit are between the beginning of May and the beginning of October as this is when the town is at its liveliest.  Fly in to Bourgas airport, hire a car and drive to Sozopol and take in the beauty of this part of Bulgaria’s coastal region.