Sozopol old-town stone house

Sozopol is one of the oldest towns on the Black Sea — a stone-and-timber peninsula settled by Greek colonists in the 6th century BC, now an atmospheric warren of cobbled lanes, wooden fishermen's houses on stone bases, and small harbours. This 70-square-metre property is a classic Sozopol build: ground-floor stone walls (thick, cool, quiet) and a projecting timber upper floor with wooden shutters and gallery windows over the lane.

Inside there are two bedrooms upstairs, one bathroom, a compact kitchen and living space on the stone ground floor, and a small paved courtyard with a grape vine. Municipal water, mains electricity, gas heating and fibre internet are all connected. The house was fully restored in the last decade and is habitable year-round.

Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. EU citizens can buy property and land freely; non-EU citizens can buy apartments and houses (but not agricultural land) directly, or land via a Bulgarian company — a standard, cheap setup. Closing takes four to eight weeks. Overall costs (property + purchase fees) for a coastal house at this level are among the lowest in the EU.

Sozopol's beaches — Harmanite (long, sandy, popular) and the smaller old-town beach — are a two-minute walk. Burgas airport (BOJ) is a forty-minute drive with cheap seasonal flights across Europe. The Strandzha nature park, south of town, offers wild coastline, oak forest and traditional villages for weekend escapes.