Getting to know the lovely town of Pomorie in Bulgaria
The town of Pomorie is one of the most beautiful towns on the sea shore,a unique and attractive healing center and resort. The ancient village Anhialo was formed in VI-V century BC, as a Hellenic colony on the Black Sea coast. Its strategic location near important roads determined its prosperity, and its proximity to a salt lake determined the development of the ancient craft – salt-producing. The sea gave charm to another ancient craft – fishing, and the wine-growing remained from the Bacchus pilgrims, although it is not certain if they were native Thracians or Hellenic settlers.
The town has survived 25 centuries, it was set on fire and then built again many times, it keeps in its lands the memories of Roman, Byzantine, Crusaders and Turkish raids, and the exhibits of the archaeological collections are silent witnesses to them. In the years after the liberation from Ottoman oppression Pomorie kept and turned its ancient crafts into prosperous activities, which created its image by becoming a prosperous trading and resort center. Unordinary development of the producing of red and white wines, special luxury brandies and cognac has been reached nowadays. The town has become a center of medical tourism as well. Thousands of Bulgarian and foreign tourists take therapy in the sanatorium complex every year, taking advantage of the healing qualities of the famous Pomorie mud. The unique charm of the cobblestone streets, the romance of the seaside boulevards and the beautiful houses, the wide beach strip and the contemporary mud-healing treatments have made a desirable place for holidays of Pomorie. To its numerous guests the town offers complete conditions for sports and entertainment as well. Every summer an arts festival called “Days of Yavorov” is held, which has become a tradition.
Now it is difficult to determine when exactly Pomorie was founded. Few years ago found ruins of an ancient settlement (3100 years) are flooded and it is difficult to be researched. Written data is available that Apolone people built up Anchialos on the northern part of the Bourgas Bay in the middle of VI Century BC.
The exact situation of this fortress is not determined for the present, but the hypothesis that the fortress had been situated in the sea to the northeast of a present-day town, in the region called ruin, is establishing. The strategic location of the peninsula in the middle of the large Bourgas Bay determines its further future.
Anchialo was a center of a strategy in Odriskoto kingdom during I Century BC – I Century AD. The period of a great growth of Pomorie started when Thrace became a Roman province. In Paleocastro countryside (old fortress) one of the biggest by territory antic towns had been build, named Ulpyanon Anchyalenom. Main military and trade port on the West Black Seaside, Pomorie according to the words of Amyan Mercelin, is “A Great Town.” Inspite of a large number of barbaric attacks, the town managed to be on this first position until 740 AD when after a natural cataclysm it was destroyed and today its ruins are under the sea level. In its rebuilding, the town was set on the same terrain on which the old part of the town is.
During the Middle Ages Pomorie saved its condition as a main transport, trade and military center of Prichernomorska Trakya. This is the reason the town was “an apple of discord” as well between Bulgaria and Byzantine Empire. As a result of a number military operation by land and by sea, the most famous of which was the battle near the Acheloy river in August, 917, when the army of the Byzantines was destroyed by the army of Simeon Veliki, the town was at times in Bulgarian boundary, at times in Byzantine boundary. Anchialo is one of the last towns, captured by the Turkish. Producing and trade with grain, wine, fish, wood and other agricultural products, which are of important significance for the town prosperity was gradually displaced by unknown until X Century AD means of livelihood – salt-producing.
During XV-XIX Century Anchialo is one of the two biggest salt-producing centers in the Ottoman Empire (Solon is the other). Inspite of the general decline of sea towns during Turkish slavery, Anchialo had still been a main town of Prichernomorska Trakya when the Liberation came. A number of objective and subjective conditions caused its decay. The most important of which were: building of a modern port in neighbour Bourgas as well as burning down Pomorie. Anchialo was in ruins on July 30, 1906.
The town was hard rebuild but not its unique face of a beautiful town with “wooden houses, huddled up in unwooded hill” (A.Strashimirov, 1901). In 1934 Anchialo was renamed Pomorie. Until this day the town grows as an important producer of salt, wines and other agricultural products, major republic center of balneo-and sea-therapy.
The municipal museum and the gallery are located in the reconstructed building of “burnt school” old (architectural monument). Sections – prehistory, antiquity, Middle Ages, submarine archeology, coin hall are set up. The gallery has its own picture fund, mainly submarine, many exhibitions are organized. The address of the municipal museum and the gallery is: “ Knyaz Boris I” str. ? 33 a. Telephone: 359/596/61-19. Working time from 10am -12am and from 4pm – 8pm.
The antique domed tomb (Herron) – architectural monument ( II Century AD) is of world significance. Unique by its architectural perfomance, the tomb is situated in the midst of gardens, 500m on the north of the “Evropa “ camping. The monument is open for the tourists during the tourist season. The architectural reserve of “ Stari Pomoriiski kasti”, in the center of which is the only one survival middle-aged church “Preobrajenie Gospodne” (XVIII Century AD) is famous for its unique icons. The active temple is a church named “Rozhdestvo na Presveta Bogoroditsa” is situated in the center of the city. Men’s Monastery of “Sveti Georgi” (1856 AD) is a favourite place for visiting by tourists. It is known for its wines and brandy. In the museum reserve of “Anchialski solnitsi”, located on the west of the Sanatorium of the Health ministry, the tourists are able to acquainted with authentic way of salt-producing in Anchialo. In the region of “Dymyat” cellar, belonging to “Chernomorsko zlato” there is a taste place, where the tourists are able to taste some famous brandies, wines and rakyas and to acquaint with the history of wine-trade in Pomorie region. “Yavorovite skali” are situated near the sea beach, facing to Sozopol and Bourgas. In 1899 – 1900 the poet’s talant of Yavorov was born there. The monument of the poet near the beach is made by Ivan Blazhev
Pomorie Resort has a unique natural feature that makes it an attractive site for an all-year rest and treatment.
Pomorie town (about 14500 population) is located on a narrow rock peninsula, jutted out 3,5 km into the Black sea, 20 km far from Bourgas and 18 km far from Sunny Beach. The town was found in the IV Century BC near the salt lake called by the ancient Thracians “holy” because of its medical properties.
The climatic conditions are optimum: sunshine up to 2360 hours annually, average July temperature of the air and water – 23,6°C. Consequently, alternating winds (breezes) from the sea to dry land and from dry land to the sea refresh the air rhythmically. The barometrical pressure is 76mm Hg. In the morning, before sunrise the air is rich in ozone and negative ions, ultra-violets rays and gauze iodine, given by the seaweed. Because the sea water gets cool slowly the temperature in the autumn is about 20,5°C.
Snowfalls are low as the snow holds no longer than 5-7 days. From the middle of October until the beginning of March the sea heats the air up. The average spring temperature is about 14° C.
These climatic indices provide for the use of the resort for suntreatment from early spring till late autumn and the fruit – vegetable circle that rounds Pomorie of 17 200 dka vineyards, 2 200 dka fruit gardens and 800 dka of vegetable gardens provide plenty of fruits and vegetables.
It is a fact that Pomorie’s firth medicinal mud and its properties are one of the most effective in the world. In the modern sanatorium base cases of bones and joints, gynecological, surgical, cardio-vascular, traumatic, skin, liver, nervous have been under treatment successfully all year round.
In Pomorie resort the seaside is low, sandy with entirely open sea-line to the east and west and it is preserved to the north by Stara Planina. The beach is on 18 700 m.sq., 7 km long and contains iron in its sand. This beach encircles the Pomorie Bay. The words like far from the beach and the sea are not existing because they are a part from the life-town environment that makes it extremely attractive.
The breakwaters out of swimming zones lead out the cold streams of the way. Shallow and level seaside bottom with slight stop without reefs and cold sea streams is safe for diving.
In its 25th Century history Pomorie (till 1934 – Anchialo) has had a turbulent and inconstant history – a Greek colony, tsivitas magna a flourishing town in the Roman Empire, had a right to coin its own money, a first-rate fortress of the First Bulgarian State, witness of the Akheloy Battle in 917, plundered and destroyed by a fire in 1366 by Amedey Savoy Earl; main supplier of salt, wine, brandy for the Ottoman Empire, had met thousands of guests from near and far places. Among the most interesting sights of Pomorie are: The Antique beehive tomb from the time of the late Roman domination on this land (II – III Century), “Sveti Georgi” (“Saint George”) active monastery – monument of the Bulgarian national revival architecture, in which there are icons from XVIII and XIX Century, the small church of “Preobrajenie Christovo”/”Transfiguration” from 1764, and the church of “Sveta Bogoroditsa” (The Holy Virgin), which was built by the most talented student of Kolyo Fitcheto – Usta Gentcho.
Pomorie resort has accommodations categorized by one, two, three stars, family boarding-houses, comfortable hotels for undisturbed recreation, a large number of snackbars, covered swimming pools. Convenient transport links connect Pomorie with other towns and resorts. The airport is 8 km far from Pomorie. The proximity of Sunny Beach and District Center of Bourgas expand the opportunities for entertaining. The sea area of the Pomorie Bay is preferred for sailing boats and the quay by the fishingmen.
Together with the traditional means of livelihood of the natives-vine-growing, wine-producing, salt-producing, fishing, the tourism and the activities attending it determine the new face in industry of all its attractive balneomedicical sea resort of Pomorie.
eTN Bulgaria
author: Rossy Makedonska
Travelvideo.TV – your news source for the travel and tourism industry.
July 9, 2004
Posted in: Bulgaria