Бургас

The fourth largest city in Bulgaria

Burgas is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria and the second largest on the Black Sea, located on the west coast of the Burgas Bay. Although the modern city took shape in the 17th–18th centuries, the area has been inhabited since ancient times — at least six settlements from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras (V–IV millennium BC) are known. In the IV century BC Thracian settlements flourished in the area. During the Roman Empire (1st–2nd century AD), the veteran colony Deultum was located here — the only Roman colony on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, founded by Emperor Vespasian for the settlement of veterans from the VIII Augustus Legion. Deultum is an important port and commercial center with a mint and amphitheater. Nearby are the remains of the ancient Akve Kalide fortress (today's Burgas mineral baths), visited by Emperor Justinian I himself and mentioned in the chronicles of Procopius of Caesarea. During the Middle Ages, the region passed between the Bulgarian kingdom and Byzantium. In the 14th century it fell under Ottoman rule. Burgas itself developed as a fishing and craft village from the 17th century. In the 18th–19th centuries, the city was a typical multi-ethnic port city where Bulgarians, Greeks, Turks, Armenians and Jews lived together. The economy is all about the sea: fishing, shipping and trade. After the Liberation of 1878, Burgas developed rapidly. Key moments in its development were the construction of the railway line to Plovdiv (1890) and the opening of the deep-sea port (1903), which turned the city into an important industrial and transport hub. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Sea Garden was built according to a project by German architects, which is still one of the most beautiful seaside park areas in Bulgaria. The unique natural wealth of the area includes the Burgas salt lakes - Atanasovsko, Mandrensko and Vaya (Burgas Lake) - some of the most important habitats for birds in Europe, included in the Ramsar Convention. Pelicans, flamingos and hundreds of other species nest here and stop during migration. Island of St. Anastasia in Burgas Bay is the only inhabited island on the Bulgarian Black Sea. Today Burgas is a dynamic industrial, cultural and tourist center. Here is located the petrochemical complex "LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas" - the largest oil refinery in South-Eastern Europe. The city hosts the International Sand Figures Festival, the Spirit of Burgas Music Festival and numerous cultural events.