Recommendations for Constanta & Nessebur on Black Sea

[comcox]

We are booked on a Black Sea cruise for Aug/Sept 2011 and are looking for recommendations of what to do, private guides, etc. for two of our ports: Constanta, Romania and Nessebur, Bulgaria. One possibility is a birding tour to delta area outside of Constanta. Other suggestions?

[birdietree]

We are on the Nautica sailing June 27. I would love to go birding. Let me know what you discover.

[comcox]

We are on the Nautica sailing June 27. I would love to go birding. Let me know what you discover.

 

Only thing I've found so far is: http://www.birdingpal.org/tours/RomaniaItinerary.htm

 

I'm just not sure about time needed. One website mentioned Delta was an hour from Contanta but another said two hours.

[kate52]

We didn't find much of note in the Constanta area, a lot of warships and a rather dilapidated town, with some beaches nearby.

Nessebar is a UNESCO world heritage site, and a port where you can step off the ship straight into town (larger ships may tender here) It's certainly worth a few hours just enjoying the churches, ruins and unusual buildings in this quaint cobbled - street town, but beware lots of cheap tat on sale!

kate

[comcox]

We didn't find much of note in the Constanta area, a lot of warships and a rather dilapidated town, with some beaches nearby.

Nessebar is a UNESCO world heritage site, and a port where you can step off the ship straight into town (larger ships may tender here) It's certainly worth a few hours just enjoying the churches, ruins and unusual buildings in this quaint cobbled - street town, but beware lots of cheap tat on sale!

kate

 

Thanks Kate for sharing your experience there.

[birdietree]

Nautica is offering a 9 hour tour to the Danube Delta from Constanta. It is expensive, but we are going.

[samnewbie]

I have been to Nessebur a few times.

 

It is very picturesque with some amazing historic sights, there are many churches, St Stephens is has some wonderful frescoes to view on the walls as does St Spass church. The museum also has some very interesting artifacts to view. Entrance fees are all remarkably low considering this is a UNESCO site.

 

There are also some wonderful restaurants, go off the main beaten track , away from the crowds and you will find some gems!.There are winding cobbled streets that all lead back to one main area and also to a large central square, you won't get lost.

 

We have had some amazing food on Nessebur, just don't go in the first place you find, sadly I do not know names to recommend any.

 

There are also many many trinket and souvenir shops, again look about and don't always buy at the first place you see, there are plenty more shops selling the same things further down the road and often the ones off the main area are half the price for the same item. There is a lot of tourist 'tat' but there are also some wonderful lace, ceramics, jewellery and wood items.

 

Nessebur can be very very busy, do not let it put you off, it is well worth a visit. We always love it when the main tourists leave and the streets are cooler and quieter, wonderful for an evening mean and to watch the sunset.

 

You can look here http://www.visitnessebar.org/ for information and it will also offer opening times of the churches and museum and entrance fees.

 

It is of course possible to swim and bathe at Nessebur, the old town has a small beach area and the new town over the causeway , past the windmill, has a larger beach.

 

Sam :)

Edited June 6, 2011 by samnewbie

[FinelyRetired]

Thanks Sam. Good info and a lovely website.

[NorthWestPassage]

Those two ports of call are low key destinations, where you can relax and cut the shore excursion budget. Enjoy them on your own. (Not every stop has to be a marathon learning experience.) Remember, you are on vacation.

Edited June 9, 2011 by NorthWestPassage

[samnewbie]

Thanks Sam. Good info and a lovely website.

 

You are very welcome :D

 

Nessebur is really pretty, my daughter first went there when she was 4, she is 15 now and it is one of her favourite holiday memories , she loves that it is so quaint and all those shops of course!

 

Hope you enjoy your visit,

 

Sam :)

[brucedodge]

Cruise ships are starting to go more and more to Constanta and Nessebar, but it's still difficult to find recommended tour guides. We just returned from these two ports on the Ocean Princess and I spent some time tracking down good guides -- and we hit the jackpot.

 

I've written about Constanta and our tour guide Alina Brasoveanu in a different thread (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2039512)

 

I'll just add here that six of us hired Hristina Nedelcheva for an all day tour during our port stop in Bulgaria. She was terrific: personable, well prepared, and speaks excellent English. We were scheduled to tender to Nessebar, but weather didn't permit it, and the Captain rapidly changed course to Burgas (about 30 km away) where we docked. I called Hristina en route from the ship, and she was waiting for us in Burgas right outside Customs. We toured a monastery (sampled their brandy), the historic salt producing areas, a bee farm, a Thracean tomb (which you can go in), and a winery, all before lunch. We had lunch in a fun restaurant in Nessebar and toured the city. Hristina helped us buy rose oil and was always prepared to change dollars or Euros to local currency, if needed. All day with comfortable van and driver was $75 each, excluding lunch, which was excellent and inexpensive. As more people learn of Hristina, she will book up fast. She had inquiries from others on our ship after her commitment to us.

 

Romania and Bulgaria are still developing a tourist presence, but with the right tour guide you can have a lot of fun and see things "off the beaten path."

 

Bruce

 

Here's Hristina explaining the bottle of wine she bought us.

 

[whatnot]

Wish I had known about that guide last year when we were there. We still had a great visit and loved Nessebar. It is a beautiful city!

[brucedodge]

Wish I had known about that guide last year when we were there. We still had a great visit and loved Nessebar. It is a beautiful city!

 

I wish you'd known about her too; you would have had an even better time. But glad you had a great visit; Nessebar is a UNESCO site for a reason.

 

I forgot to mention for anyone interested that Hristina's email is: hristina.hr.bg@abv.bg

 

And though I've pretty much given our itinerary, cost, etc., if anyone wishes more info, he/she can reach me at: brucedodge at comcast point net.

 

Bruce