Sveti Vlas (St.Vlas) village has about 3,000 inhabitants and is situated just 4 km to the north of Sunny Beach resort and 9 km away from the town of Nessebar. It lies in the skirts of the Stara Planina mountain and thus offers a beautiful combination of sea and mountain climate. The adjacent beaches are of a total length of about 1km and average width of 16 metres. The village of Sveti Vlas (St. Vlas) is believed to have been founded by the Thracian tribe of Larisi in the 2nd century BC. At that time, it reportedly bore the name of Larisa. It was renamed "Sveti Vlas" in the 14th century AC after the patron saint of cattle growers and merchants. During Ottoman rule (late 14th-19th century AC), the village appeared in administrative registrars as "Manastir" ("Monastery") or "Kyuchuk Manastir" after the five monasteries in the vicinity of the village. Unfortunately, none of the monasteries has been preserved up to present days. Officially, it restored its name of Sveti Vlas after the reunification of the Bulgarian state in 1886.
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