The city of Burgas
The town of Burgas is the biggest and the most important economic, administrative and cultural centre in the Southern part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It is the second largest Black sea town in Bulgaria after Varna and it is the fourth largest town of Bulgaria with population of 229 740 inhabitants. It is 389 km from the capital Sofia, 272 km from Plovdiv and at 350 km from the Turkish town Istanbul. The Western outskirts of Burgas are occupied by the lake Via, Atanasovsko Lake and the lake Mandra which are known for their biodiversity.
Burgas is a modern and beautiful town with new and old-time architecture. It has the structure and the plan of a typical Bulgarian town – central part with the main administrative buildings and public establishments, cultural institutions and trade centers and peripheral parts with living quarters and recreation places. The town has a number of parks and, what is more, the central park is exceptionally beautiful and pleasant for walks. Facing the sea is town’s typical characteristic feature. The old part of the town has the form of a crescent open to the sea and together with the sea garden it is part of the two main attractions of the town.
Climate
The climate is temperate continental with strong sea influence. Summer is usually pleasant and fresh due to the constant breeze.
The average day summer temperatures are 26.4 С, and those of the sea water - 24,7 С. The number of the sunny days in summer varies between 24 and 27 monthly, with averagely 10-11 hours daily sunshine. Winter in Burgas is mild and almost without snow. During winter the average air temperature is 4,6 С, and that of the water - 7,4 С. Due to the influence of the sea autumn is long and rather warm, warmer than that in the other inner parts of Bulgaria but spring is cold and comes a month later.
Cultural and Nature sights
The tour around Burgas will give you an opportunity to see a lot of historical, cultural, nature and architectural sights. The variety of festivals as the traditional one “Burgas and the Sea” are also included in the places of interest. “Burgas and the sea” has been carried out since 1973. It is worth feeling the unique atmosphere of the town during the festival. SPIRIT of Burgas has been carried out since 2008 and it is the first event in the country offering variety of scenes and various participants from all musical genres. The festival continues growing up with each year and it was nominated for “Best European Festival” of UK Festival Awards in 2008 and in the category "Best Overseas Festival" in 2009. In the same year, 2009, the festival was pointed out by the Times as one of the 20th best festival destinations and the program of the festival was spread in the European network of MTV in 16 countries. Spirit of Burgas has found its place in the list of the nominated for “Best Mmedium Sized Festival” on the first European Festival Awards in January 2010.
The first festival of sand sculptures has been carried out in Burgas since 2008. World famous sculptors from many countries participate in it. Each summer the municipality of Burgas organizes a folklore festival which has turned out to be a significant international event for the admirers of the folk tradition.
Several large museums are among the cultural sights of Burgas. Along with the Regional Historic Museum which is the oldest in this part of the country, the Ethnographic Museum, located in a house-monument of culture built in 1873, offers interesting exhibitions too. You can see traditional kukeri masks there, typical traditional costumes and ritual attributes. Historical and ethnographic films are regularly shown in the video room of the museum.
In the natural science museum, you can learn more about the geological composition of the region as well as the local flora and fauna. More than 100 species of insects and reptiles are exhibited there together with a lot of protected species. The opera hall and the puppet theatre are among the other cultural sights of the town.
The four lakes of Burgas are among the nature sights. They are a valuable biological treasure for the whole country. They form the biggest complex of sea lakes in which the following lakes are included: Atanaskovsko lake, Pomoriisk lake, Mandrensko lake and Burgas lake.
Burgas Lake is the biggest natural lake in Bulgaria with area of 27.6 sq .km and depth up to 13 m. A rich variety of species live in it: 60 species of fish, 60 invertebrates and 254 species of birds. A lot of pelicans, ibises and cranes have made their nests in the lake. Burgas mineral spa resort is situated around Burgas and it is one of the oldest resorts in the country.
Undoubtedly one of the most attractive sights in the Black sea town is the sea garden which is the ideal place for rest, recreation and walks in the beautiful nature and sea breeze. The park is situated on rising ground on the beach and refined with flower beds, trees and various sculptures. There is a summer theatre within the frames of the sea garden which hosts the annual international folklore festivals. You can automatically descend from the emblematic sea garden to the central beach of the town following the beautiful grass grown staircase.
The “St. St Cyril and Methodius” Cathedral is another sight that attracts people with its fascinating murals and the altar decorated with unique woodcarving. Do not miss to visit the so called Armenian Church which was built in 1855 by the local Armenian citizens. Attractive tourist centers can be found within the parameter of 30 km – Sunny beach, Nessebar, Elenite, Duny and etc. The tourist season here lasts from May to September. The numerous coffee bars, restaurants, night bars and various entertainment establishments which Burgas offers to its inhabitants and guests come last but not least. Most of these places are concentrated in the small streets in the central part of the town where you can see magnificent architectural buildings such as old houses from the revival period.
Transport
Public bus and trolleybus lines connect the centre of the town to the living quarters. A conductor comes and collects the ticket fee in the public transport. There is a network of kiosks selling cards for the public transport. Buses run every 10 minutes. The first bus is at 04.40, the last one - 23.00. The time to and from the centre varies, depending on the traffic conditions, but in general it takes about 15 minutes.