Tsarevo

The town of Tsarevo is situated in the south-east part of the country, on the South Black Sea area, at a distance of about 66 km from Burgas. The border with Turkey is situated at a distance of only about 40 km south from Tsarevo. The municipality territory occupies a large part of Strandzha Mountain. The town population is about 5,000 people.
In the past, the town was called Vasiliku (12th century). There is evidence that in 1351 it was called Vasilikos, and by 1934 it was known under the name of Vasiliko. Within the period 1950 – 1991 the town had the name of Michurin. Since 1991 the town had had its present name – Tsarevo.
The town had a developed port and great traditions in shipbuilding and fishing. The proximity to Strandzha, where wooden material for ship-construction was taken, was one of the basic advantages of Tsarevo. Traditionally, smaller to medium-sized ships were built in the shipbuilding plant in Tsarevo, but their distinctive feature was their sharp ship bow. In Greek, this part of the ship was called Karina. That is why the local residents were called kakarini. There was a flotilla of 42 ships in the sea town during the first half of the 19th century. Grain and grape were grown in the region. They were the basic goods with which the local population was trading. Tsarevo maintained good commercial relations with the capital of the Ottoman Empire – Constantinople and with ports in Aegean and Marmara Sea.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria of Ottoman dominion (1878), the town remained within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. After the Balkan War (1912 – 1913), the town was again included within the Bulgarian borders.
Nowadays Tsarevo is divided into an old and a new part. During the 1880s a great fire destroyed a large part of the town, and today there are a few buildings that had remained after the fire. The church “The Assumption of St. Mary” is situated on the south peninsula of Tsarevo. Another temple existed at the place of nowadays’ church. The church was built in 1831, and its contemporary appearance has existed since 1895. Some of the icons in the temple date back to the end of the 18th century.
The resort settlement of Lozenets is situated at a distance of 7 km from the town. The beaches of the former camping areas of Coral, South and Oasis are situated near Tsarevo. Other small resort towns such as Ahtopol, Sinemorets, Kiten, etc. are also situated nearby.
The proximity of Strandzha is the reason for the well developed ecological and mountainous tourism in the region. There are marked routes on the territory of the natural park of Strandzha. While tourists walk along them, they can learn more about the history, the animal and plant species in the region. The rivers around Tsarevo are abundant in terms of fish. Fishermen standing on the bridges and shores are often seen here.
Tsarevo has a rich cultural schedule. Traditionally the following events are conducted in August: Week of the Sea, International Festival of Honey Dew, international and national folklore festivals. There are a lot of hotels, guest houses and camping sites on the territory of Tsarevo. They offer accommodation depending on the means and the taste of the tourists. The food and drink establishments are also diverse and offer wonderful seafood.