Burgas is Bulgaria's main Black Sea port — a working industrial and commercial city rather than a resort, which is what makes it worth a stop. The old town is compact and walkable, and the Archaeological Museum gives a solid overview of the area's Thracian, Greek, and Byzantine past. The Burgas Art Gallery, housed in a former Jewish synagogue, is one of the oldest provincial art galleries in the country.
The city sits on a peninsula between four lakes — Burgasko, Mandrensko, Atanasovsko, and Poda — which together form an important wetland system for migratory birds. Lake Atanasovsko is a Ramsar-protected site with over 300 bird species recorded; it turns a vivid pink in summer thanks to salt-tolerant algae, and is accessible by bike from the city centre. Offshore, St. Anastasia Island has a working monastery and a lighthouse, reachable by summer ferry from the harbour. The Sea Garden along the coast is one of the better urban parks on the Bulgarian Black Sea.
Burgas is the main hub for the southern Black Sea coast, with an international airport and good bus and rail connections. Sozopol is 30 km south and Nessebar 35 km north. The city is about 400 km from Sofia by road.