Years ago we stayed several times in the town of Chernomorets during the summer vacation. We walked in and around the town so many times, but we did not suspect that the area had more than a thousand year history. Yes, it is true, both now and for ages, the place has been in the shadow of Sozopol, former Apollonia, but the findings and bits of history discovered in the area of Chernomorets arise such a great interest.
This article is dedicated to the Akra Fortres near one of the youngest cities in Bulgaria – Chernomorets. The place is quite suitable for a nice day trip from Burgas.
Travel resources
You can visit some of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria via organized daily tours. Have a look here for several options from the biggest Bulgarian provider for day tours from Sofia – Traventuria.
Rent a car for your trip to Bulgaria from Top Rent A Car, the major car hire provider in Bulgaria with loyalty program for the returning customers. Click here to rent a car.
You can find the best accommodation choices at Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel companies. Click here to look for the place to stay in Bulgaria.
How to get to the Akra Fortess
The fortress of Akra is located on the most protruding part in the sea of the Akra Peninsula (Cape Akin). This is the first peninsula after the town of Chernomorets in the direction of Burgas.
The fortress can be reached in ten minutes by car from Chernomorets on a dirt but stable road. From Chernomorets, you take the old road to Burgas and shortly after leaving the town you have to turn right on the dirt road. The distance from Chernomorets to the fortress is about 2 km. In front of the fortress there is a spacious place, convenient for parking.
Chernomorets: Akra Peninsula
Another way to see the Akra Fortress is to take one of the boats departing every hour (in summer) from the port of Chernomorets. Keep in mind that the boats just pass by the fortress, without stopping there.
Tip: set aside at least 30 minutes to see the remains of the ancient fortress of Akra and to enjoy the beautiful sea views from it.
Short information about the Akra Fortess
The fortress was first mentioned by the Shkorpil brothers in 1891. Detailed field research was conducted in 2012 under the guidance of archaeologist Ivan Hristov.
It is established that the fortress of Akra was built in the second half of the 5th century during the time of the Byzantine emperor Anastasius. It served as a fortification of a settlement, the remains of which can still be seen on the seabed at low and clear sea waters. The fortress lasted until the 90s of the 6th century, when the Avar invasions took place.
The most exciting part of the place, at least for me, was the preserved tower and the beautiful sea views. Remains of other ancient buildings, a large bunker left by the military and a monument of died Bulgarian sailors can also be seen there.
Unfortunately, except the tower, almost all the walls and remains of buildings are overgrown with tall grass and bushes.
However, the place is quite interesting to see. If you pass near Chernomorets, stop by!
A bonus place – Museum exposition “St. Nicholas”
The museum exposition was established in September 2014 as a result of a European project under OP “Regional Development”. It consists of two halls – archaeological and ethnographic, and a lapedarium, where you can see a rich collection of stone anchors – the oldest anchors found at the bottom of Sozopol Bay.
The archeological exposition, called “The Millennium Beginning”, presents the ancient history of the region through some of the findings discovered during archaeological research conducted by scientists of the National History Museum and the Archaeological Museum in the town of Sozopol. There in the museum you can see stone and bone tools, cult clay sculptures and household ceramics from the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Ages. The earliest finds date back from the 6th millennium BC.
The second floor is occupied by the ethnographic exposition entitled “Life and culture of the population of Coastal Strandzha”. There you can see clothes from the Strandzha region and household items.
The museum exposition “St. Nicolas” is located in the central part of the town of Chernomorets, the address is “Baikal Str. 6”. The entrance ticket is BGN 4 for adults and BGN 2 for students.
