Obzor – the town where the Balkan meets the sea
- Stefan Ivanov
- Apr 29
- 12 min read
Updated: Sep 4
Obzor is a small, quiet, peaceful, cozy and charming resort village located on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
Obzor has long and extensive beaches, clean sea and mountain air, hospitable people and numerous opportunities for recreation and entertainment.
Thanks to its rich natural resources, it is one of the most attractive tourist sea destinations - a kind of pearl of our Black Sea region.
Obzor is the only Bulgarian city that is located both on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in the middle of the northern slopes of the Balkan Mountains.
Over the past two decades, with the increasing flow of Bulgarian and foreign tourists, Obzor has changed, becoming an extremely famous modern seaside resort.
This modern, rich and diverse tourist city is characterized by:
A phenomenally beautiful ten-kilometer beach (the second longest in our country) with soft and fine golden sand and a width between 20 meters and 60 meters, which ranks among one of the longest beaches on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
Mountain eco-trails and routes leading to the Stara Planina mountain range descending to the sea, among which guests of the city can walk and find coolness and relaxation, admiring the incredible combination of sea and mountain panoramic views.
A unique and healthy combination of sea and low mountain climate, which is suitable for the treatment of various diseases of the respiratory and nervous systems, musculoskeletal system, allergies, laryngitis, chronic bronchitis, as well as the opportunity for tourism during every season of the year.
Proximity to the beach – the distance from the furthest point of Obzor to the sea is no more than ten minutes at a leisurely walking pace.
Springs with healing mineral water
Proximity of the resort village to the largest cities on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast - the sea capital Varna, located about 55 kilometers (about 45 minutes by car) from Obzor and Burgas - about 70 kilometers away (about 55 minutes by car)
Excellently developed transport links and infrastructure in the city, proximity to the airports in Burgas and Varna, to the railway stations, easy access to bus transport, the convenience of taxi services
The diverse accommodation options in the city - charming and cozy family guesthouses, one-star, two-star, three-star and four-star hotels, huge luxury hotel complexes, ready to satisfy the needs and requirements of even the most demanding guests.
The numerous entertainment options – bars, restaurants, taverns and cafes
Comfortable conditions for vacationing with children – in addition to the favorable healthy climate, the resort has an amusement park, playgrounds and attractions, and extensive cool parks.
Delicious cuisine
Authentic folklore, the rich cultural life of Obzor with the observance of centuries-old traditions and customs
Thousands of years of history of Obzor - since ancient times, various tribes and peoples have coexisted here - Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Proto-Bulgarians, Slavs, Turks, whose way of life and traditions have left a rich historical and cultural heritage.
Many Roman and Byzantine coins, capitals, ceramic vessels, etc. have been found in the town, some of which are kept in the Archaeological Museum in Sofia, and others can be seen in the central part of the resort village.
Archaeological excavations in the city, which began in 2012, revealed parts of the walls of an authentic Roman bath dating from the 4th to the 6th century.
The extremely favorable combination between prices and quality of the offered tourist services
The opportunity for guests of the city to observe the numerous international festivals held
The numerous options for sports - running, cycling, beach volleyball, swimming, surfing, diving, jet skiing and water skiing for those who like to combine business with pleasure during their annual or weekly vacation.
The security and tranquility in Obzor, where the noise and bustle of large, overcrowded resort complexes are absent.
Obzor is a village with ancient history, rich traditions and culture, where the sea, golden, endless beaches and green mountain hills come together in a wonderful embrace.
Here, in this place blessed by God and gifted to people, you would spend your vacation in a unique and unforgettable way and believe me – you would come back again.
The geographical location of Obzor on the Black Sea coast and the low cloud cover create conditions for prolonged sunshine - during the high tourist season - more than 10 hours a day, and in May and September - an average of 8 hours.
Summer and early autumn are characterized by sunny, moderately humid weather, little cloudiness, wind, and low temperatures.
The sea breeze has a certain climatic importance from mid-spring to October.
In July and August, almost half of the days are with breeze circulation, resulting in less frequent formation of hot and very dry weather.
Winter temperatures are not very low, and summer temperatures are not very high.
The average annual temperature in Obzor is 12.3 degrees Celsius.
Spring is longer, cooler and wetter, with frequent rainfall.
Summer is cool, and autumn lasts longer, is more pleasant and relatively warmer. Winter is mild.
The climate and natural features of Obzor suggest the treatment of a number of diseases:
children's diseases - rickets, lymphatic and exudative diathesis, allergic diathesis, diseases of the respiratory system, bone dystrophies, recovery after illness
diseases of the respiratory system - chronic allergic rhinitis, laryngitis, chronic sinusitis and others
allergic diseases
diseases of the nervous system
diseases of the musculoskeletal system
skin diseases
blood diseases
gynecological diseases.
Obzor is located south of the Dvoynitsa River Valley on the northernmost slopes of the Eminska Stara Planina*, right next to the Black Sea coast. Its average altitude is 65 meters.
*After the Luda Kamchia River Valley, the ridge of the Stara Planina reaches the Dvoynitsa River Valley. Along it, the mountain ends near the town of Obzor. The Eminska Mountain is one of the last in the Stara Planina chain. It is wide and low (600 meters, and in places under 400 meters). It descends steeply towards the Hadzhiyska River Valley and ends in the Black Sea with a steep cliff, 60 meters high at Cape Emine.
The relief of the region is low-mountain, valley and coastal with a diverse landscape and an exceptionally beautiful scenery.
From Cape St. Atanas (north of Obzor) to Cape Emine (south of Obzor), extensive beaches of golden, medium-grained quartz sand have formed, which heat up to bearable temperatures during hot summer days.
The coastal areas near the village are unique in their protection from cold winds and combination of maritime and mountain climate.
The summer breeze circulation, prolonged sunshine, moderate daytime temperatures, and relatively low cloud cover are the ideal climatic conditions for climatotherapy – aerotherapy (treatment in fresh air), heliotherapy (treatment with sunbathing), and thalassotherapy (treatment with water procedures).
Something extremely important – the waters of the sea near Obzor are clean and still unaffected by industrial pollution!
In addition to recreation and treatment, the town offers opportunities for fishing and water sports enthusiasts. Its wide openness and more frequent waves are particularly favorable for sailing and surfing.
History
The first known name of the settlement is Navlohos. It is of Thracian origin and means a place by the sea. Thracians from the Nipsei tribe lived here, who inhabited the lands south of the Panisos River (Kamchia) to Apollonia (present-day Sozopol). Traces of Thracian construction have been found on Cape Emine and on the western elevation of Obzor.
At the beginning of the 6th century BC, Messemvria (today's Nessebar) was colonized by Greek settlers from Megara, and only a few decades later, the apoikia - emporion (marketplace) - Navlochos Messemvriaiski was established. Thus, Navlochos retained its name, but was now among the Megarian colonies, becoming a crafts and trade center.
Around the 1st century BC, Navlohos is not mentioned only as a colony of Messembria. The settlement has almost independent strategic and economic importance. From this period it is also known by the name Heliopolis - city of the sun.
In 72 BC, during the wars of the Roman Empire with the Pontic Kingdom, the Roman consul Marcus Terentius Lucullus passed along the western coast of the Black Sea. He destroyed Apollonia, conquered Messemvria, and the following year entered Navlochos. He ordered the construction of a temple to Jupiter and thus gave the new name to the settlement - Templum Jovis. It became an important station on the Roman coastal road from Messemvria to Odessos (today's Varna).
Remains of columns with capitals from this period are exhibited in the garden in the center. The Temple of Jupiter has not yet been studied and, unfortunately, no archaeological excavations have been carried out. An extremely interesting portrait of a man sculpted from limestone was discovered in the Kozyak area. The wide-open eyes and the simplified and schematically rendered facial features are characteristic. The imitative has given way to the abstraction of natural forms, taken to the extreme. The style of this portrait finds famous parallels in the painting and sculpture of the time of Justinian I. The portrait from Obzor is one of the latest representatives of the dying free sculpture in the Eastern Orthodox Christian world. It can be dated back to the 4th century and is one of the rarest monuments in the collections of the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia.
In the early Christian period between the 4th and 5th centuries, the settlement received a new name – Theopolis, city of the god. Three basilicas were built, of which there is no trace today.
At the same time, the monastery "St. Nicholas" near Emona was built. Later, during the Bulgarian National Revival, Sophrony of Vrachanski worked in the same monastery.
From the early Byzantine period are also the baths - thermae, which represent a unique complex of over 1,000 sq. m. So far, three rooms with three exedras, built into the thickness of the wall, have been discovered. They contained small pools of water, a cold room, a warm room with a hypocaust heating system, like the baths of Hisarya.
After the establishment of the Bulgarian State, Theopolis was included in its framework. The Bulgarians repaired the Roman fortress wall and since then it has been known by the name Kozyak and also gave the next name to the settlement. The fortress wall was 10 meters high and 3 meters wide, with several watchtowers. Remains of the fortress wall are still visible in the Kaleto area, where an eco-trail leads. Not long ago, a watchtower was also discovered on the seashore and the remains of the fortress wall, which have not yet been socialized.
North of Obzor, through the villages of Panitsovo, Rakovskovo and Priseltsi, the border Asparuhov Val passed, which was part of the Bulgarian early medieval defense system.
At the end of the 14th century, all the Black Sea cities were already within the Ottoman Empire.
In the 15th century, the settlement was called by the Turkish name Gözlü, and later it was known by the names Gözeken or Gözeköy.
The Turkish names are associated with the beautiful view of the village. During this time, the village's port exported mostly timber, kyumur (charcoal) and wheat.
After the Russo-Turkish War of Independence, the village remained within the borders of Eastern Rumelia. In 1885, the Unification was proclaimed. The first settlers from Eastern Thrace arrived in Gözeken, and by the beginning of the 20th century, all the Turks had left the village, and in 1925, the Greeks too.
The beginning of more significant tourist visits to Obzor (then Gozeken) was in 1925, when the first camp for students from the 3rd Sofia High School was built here. Here is what the director of the high school, Sergey Denkov, wrote about Obzor:
The village of Gozeken is one of the most beautiful and clean seaside villages. Located right at the foot of the extreme northern slope of the Stara Planina Mountains, it, due to its location, surpasses almost all of our other seaside villages in terms of beautiful surroundings and beauty.
Soon Obzor became one of the first resorts on our Black Sea coast. In 1930, the first holiday resort "Ticha" was built here, and in 1932, many private villas were built on the high seashore, which are still used today. It is characteristic of this time that most of the vacationers visit the village for treatment and less for rest.
It was not until 1934 that the Turkish name of the village was replaced with Kozyakgrad, but it lasted for one year.
Since 1935, the settlement has borne the euphonious name Obzor, associated with its unique location.
By the 1950s, the village was known as a preferred seaside resort, especially as a center for social recreation. 42 rest stations and pioneer camps, two huge campsites and a motel, which was used by foreign tourists, were built here, and the main bed base was located in private accommodations.
On September 5, 1984, Obzor was declared a city.
The sunrises on the observation deck are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen!
I have also dedicated one of my poems to Obzor, which I am pleased to present to you!
"Брегът на Обзор"
Автор: Стефан Иванов
На прекрасната ми съпруга Кристина!
"Чуй ме,
Тъй бързо всичко отминава,
Но все пак любовта създава
Следа от твоята следа.
Чуй ме,
Дори когато мен ме няма
И само песента остава
Печат от моята душа."
Мирослав Костадинов
"Вървиме двама боси, Аз и Ти,
по пясъка така горещ вървим."
Миглена Георгиева
Фин, топъл пясък – разпилян,
мек и златен, рачета той крие
и миди шарени, и тук,
и там,
навсякъде!
А в нас сърцата лудо бият!
Разходка.
Двама.
За ръка.
Нозете – боси.
Тихичко.
Вълните...
И шепотът
на вятъра.
Целувка, не една...
И обич несравнима в нас полита!
Туптят сърцата лудо!
Две в едно.
Ръцете, те една в друга впити.
И всяка крачка е любов!
И всяка крачка те окриля!
И в тебе нещо ярко заблести.
И чайки над вълните в знак отлитат.
Звезда от хоризонта сваляш ти
и нежно в косите ѝ заплиташ.
А тя те гледа с пламък огнен и светът
е вече друг!
Животът – тъй прекрасен!
Брегът е пуст.
Морето – диво.
Приливът.
Лунен сърп в небето.
Ярък.
Ясен.
Свечери се.
Пясъкът студен е.
Морски бриз.
Морето топло.
Топли са вълните.
Нозете топлят.
Крачим ний.
И нещо в нас.
Огромно!
Огнено и свято!
Неразрушимо!
Аз в шепи стискам каменно сърце.
Сърце от камък!
Символ твърд и чуден.
На брега лежеше.
Намери го дете.
В душите ни е музика.
Дух буден.
Брегът е тъмен вече – чист обзорски бряг.
Необятна шир – морето.
Небосводът – ясен.
Звездици нежно там далече заблестят.
Подухва топъл бриз.
Шумът е тъй прекрасен.
Тя е тук и той е тук.
Те заедно – скали!
Една любов!
Тъй свята!
Бряг – обзорски.
С пясък, миди, рачета и водорасли.
Гора и планина.
И климат морски.
Оназ разходка още дланите ни топли.
Ще дойдем тук отново ний...
Морето зове ни със страстните си вопли!
How to get to the town of Obzor?
Obzor is located in Northern Bulgaria on the border between Burgas and Varna regions.
Obzor is located:
446 kilometers (about 4 hours and 46 minutes by car) from the capital
314 kilometers (about 3 hours and 37 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
61 kilometers (about 59 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
70 kilometers (about 1 hour and 13 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
Obzor is crossed by the main road E87, connecting the major sea centers of Varna and Burgas.
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