A famous Balkan beauty spot and Bulgaria's best wines are in store on this great day out. You'll embark on a walking tour of UNESCO-listed Nessebar and visit one of the Black Sea's top-rated wineries for a wine tasting tour. Elena, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘For a thousand years the church of Saint Sophia was one of the most important religious sites in the Black Sea region. It was built in the 5th century and it's one of the oldest churches anywhere.'
It all begins with a guided walking tour of Nessebar's old town. Crammed into a narrow peninsula jutting out into the Black Sea, this old part of the city boasts such a wealth of artifacts that it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are so many layers of history here that archaeologists have had to study the underwater remnants of the town to understand its history. They discovered that it was first settled by the Thracians followed by Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans.
Wander winding streets fringed with old timber homes wedged between a dozen historic churches, the oldest of which date back 1,500 years. And when the tour is over, you'll have plenty of free time to explore on your own. Rounding off the experience is a visit to the DiVes Estate Winery, where a tasting session sees you sample a trio of Bulgaria's best wines surrounded by countryside scenery. Elena says, ‘The rosé wine is a standout. It is the product of a local Bulgarian grape variety known as Pamid, which thrives by the sea, making a wine full of subtle, fresh flavours.'
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