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Bourgas is the fourth largest town in Bulgaria and has the largest port. It is the chief town of a region which occupies an area of 14656sq m, its population being about 870000 people. The region is famous for its seaside resorts, vast vineyards, production of white wines and several large industrial enterprises. Bourgas occupies the innermost part of the largest bay on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast which stretches from Cape Emine to the north and Cape Kokare to the south. The bay is well protected from the winds and is a natural harbour. The small and rocky island of St. Anastasia is 7km from Bourgas in the southern part of the bay. It was named after a monastery built here in the distant past. After the liberation from Ottoman rule the monastery was abandoned by the church authorities. A lighthouse was built on the island later Subsequently, it was turned into a prison. Three lagoon lakes surround Bourgas. Lake Atanasovo is situated midway between Pomorie and Bourgas. It is a nature reserve and serves as the midway point on the „Via Pontica“ - the route used by birds migrating between Scandinavia and Africa. Lake Bourgas is the largest of the three lakes. It is separated from the bay of Bourgas by the road to Sozopol. Situated 10km further south, Lake Mandra is the most beautiful one and is a good place to watch wild fowl. Bourgas is 120km south of Varna and about as far from the border with Turkey. It lies at a distance of about 400km from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The site of Bourgas was inhabited in ancient times. Thracian remains and Greek pottery have been discovered, bearing witness to that fact. In Roman times there were towers that protected the road to nearby Deultum. But as a town Bourgas did not develop until the 17th century. It was founded by fishermen from Pomorie and Sozopol who settled here. At the time of Bulgaria's Liberation from the Turks in 1878 it was a small town with no more than 5000 inhabitants. It soon began growing into a commercial town. It was connected with the interior of the coutry by a railway line in 1890. The port was built in 1903. A number of industrial enterprises, banks, foreign firms and consulates were established. Nowadays Bourgas is an important industrial centre with the biggest port on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It has been enlarged and equipped with modern installations. There is a ship – building yard. Bourgas is much more industrial than its neighbours on the coast with its plants and factories producing electric cables, cotton textiles, soap, sugar products, foodstuffs, etc. There is also a winery, a brewery and a factory specializing in soft drinks. Neftochim PLC – an oil refinery and a number of associated chemical plants – is the largest industrial enterprise in the district. Bourgas is cultural and educational centre. Its important institutions include an archeological museum, a state library, a state theatre, an opera company, a symphony orchestra, a state art galleries with a fine collection on 18th and 19th c. Icons, a number of private galleries and a puppet theatre. The seaside gardens contain an open – air theatre and a lot of cafes, restaurants and children's playgrounds. There are two universities in the town as well as several colleges, language and technical schools. Being one of the youngest towns on the Black Sea coast, Bourgas has few historical sights. Near Bourgas's main promenading area along Alexandrovska Street and Bogoridi Street the Church of SS Kiril i Methodii rises. It was built between 1894 and 1905. The nearby Ethnographic Museum displays Kukery costumes and regional textiles. The Natural History Museum contains displays documenting the local flora and fauna. Along Bogoridi Street is the Archealogical Museum showing off votive tablets depicting the Thracian Horseman, Classical – era burial finds, including the gold jewellery of a Thracian priestess, a Greek – language inscription from Mesembria, recording a peace treaty between the city and the local Thracian ruler Salada, etc. Alexandrovska Street is the main shopping street where as Bogoridi Street, leading from the centre to the sea gardens, is lined with outdoor cafes and restaurants. Bourgas is stopover point for tourists nowadays rather than a seaside resort. The town has good transport connections. Accommodation is offered in its five big hotels – the Bulgaria, The Kosmos, the Aqua, the Miraj and the Primorets as well as in private rooms and hotels. There are few travel agencies and exchange bureaux.
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