Sveti Vlas
Encyclopedia
Sveti Vlas is a town and seaside resort
on the Black Sea
coast of Bulgaria
, located in Nesebar municipality, Burgas Province
. As of July 2007, it has a population of 3,869.
The town is located at the foot of the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains
, in the northern part of Burgas Bay
. A settlement was founded at the present place of Sveti Vlas in the 2nd century AD by Thracians
and Greeks
, then called Larissa. It acquired the name Sveti Vlas in the 14th century after Saint Blaise, a monastery dedicated to whom existed in the region, but was burnt down in the 14th-18th century by consecutive pirate raids. During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, it was known as Kücük manastir or simply Manastir ("monastery"), while the name Sveti Vlas became official after 1886.
Until 1920 the population of Sveti Vlas was predominantly Greek. After 1920 as a result of the exchange of population between Greece and Bulgaria most of the local Greeks emigrated to Western Thrace (ceded to Greece in 1920) Greece and found their new home in the village of Strymi (until 1920 Chadarli), Sapes municipality. Less than 10 Greek families remained in Sveti Vlas. After 1912 and especially after 1920 tens of Bulgarian families emigrated from Greece, predominantly from Greek Macedonia and established themselves in Sveti Vlas.
The settlement became a climatic sea resort in 1963 and a town on 2 February 2006. Sveti Vlas is the only place on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast where the beaches are facing directly south.
Sveti Vlas has grown as a tourist
resort
in recent times, serving as a quieter alternative to nearby Sunny Beach
. The gap between the two places is shrinking as more hotels and holiday apartments are built along the coast. Sveti Vlas lies at the northern end of a bay which has Sunny Beach in its middle and the ancient town of Nesebar
at its southern end. Sunny Beach and Nesebar are easily accessible by bus or taxi, and there are also boats going between Sveti Vlas and Nesebar.
The resort was mainly popular amongst inland Bulgarian tourists, but recently there is rapid growth in the number of foreign tourists, mainly from Russia, but also from Great Britain, Poland, Romania and Scandinavia. Even though Sveti Vlas was heavily developed in 2000's it remained pretty quiet and calm down place, making it good place to have a rest. Due to that fact the typical visitors in the resort are families with children.
The latest development of the area has been the building of the Dinevi marina
, the largest in Bulgaria. The Dinevi brothers have been developing the area with numerous complexes, highlighted by the marina itself. The beach was expanded in 2007 using rocks and sand that was removed when digging out for the marina. The marina with its clubs and restaurants has become famous among the wealthier people in Bulgaria, and expensive cars like Ferraris and Porsches can frequently be seen.
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
on the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, located in Nesebar municipality, Burgas Province
Burgas Province
-Municipalities:The Burgas province contains 13 municipalities . The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village , and the population of each as of 2009.-Demography:The Burgas province had a population of 423,608 -Municipalities:The Burgas...
. As of July 2007, it has a population of 3,869.
The town is located at the foot of the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
, in the northern part of Burgas Bay
Burgas Bay
Burgas Bay is the largest bay of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and one of the largest ones in the Black Sea. It is 41 km at its widest and 25 m at its deepest, reaching 31 km at its greatest innermost extent, approximately where the Bulgarian city and major port of Burgas is located. Other towns...
. A settlement was founded at the present place of Sveti Vlas in the 2nd century AD by Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
and Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, then called Larissa. It acquired the name Sveti Vlas in the 14th century after Saint Blaise, a monastery dedicated to whom existed in the region, but was burnt down in the 14th-18th century by consecutive pirate raids. During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, it was known as Kücük manastir or simply Manastir ("monastery"), while the name Sveti Vlas became official after 1886.
Until 1920 the population of Sveti Vlas was predominantly Greek. After 1920 as a result of the exchange of population between Greece and Bulgaria most of the local Greeks emigrated to Western Thrace (ceded to Greece in 1920) Greece and found their new home in the village of Strymi (until 1920 Chadarli), Sapes municipality. Less than 10 Greek families remained in Sveti Vlas. After 1912 and especially after 1920 tens of Bulgarian families emigrated from Greece, predominantly from Greek Macedonia and established themselves in Sveti Vlas.
The settlement became a climatic sea resort in 1963 and a town on 2 February 2006. Sveti Vlas is the only place on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast where the beaches are facing directly south.
Sveti Vlas has grown as a tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
in recent times, serving as a quieter alternative to nearby Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach
Sunny Beach is a major seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located approximately 35 km north of Burgas in Nessebar municipality, Burgas Province. It is the biggest and most popular holiday resort in Bulgaria, and is home to over 800 hotels with more than 300 000 beds. There are...
. The gap between the two places is shrinking as more hotels and holiday apartments are built along the coast. Sveti Vlas lies at the northern end of a bay which has Sunny Beach in its middle and the ancient town of Nesebar
Nesebar
Nesebar is an ancient town and one of the major seaside resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located in Burgas Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Nesebar Municipality...
at its southern end. Sunny Beach and Nesebar are easily accessible by bus or taxi, and there are also boats going between Sveti Vlas and Nesebar.
The resort was mainly popular amongst inland Bulgarian tourists, but recently there is rapid growth in the number of foreign tourists, mainly from Russia, but also from Great Britain, Poland, Romania and Scandinavia. Even though Sveti Vlas was heavily developed in 2000's it remained pretty quiet and calm down place, making it good place to have a rest. Due to that fact the typical visitors in the resort are families with children.
The latest development of the area has been the building of the Dinevi marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
, the largest in Bulgaria. The Dinevi brothers have been developing the area with numerous complexes, highlighted by the marina itself. The beach was expanded in 2007 using rocks and sand that was removed when digging out for the marina. The marina with its clubs and restaurants has become famous among the wealthier people in Bulgaria, and expensive cars like Ferraris and Porsches can frequently be seen.