Burgas, Bulgaria

Burgas is the fourth-largest city in Bulgaria, with a population of about 200,000, and it sits on the western coast of the Black Sea. The city operates the largest port in the country and grew from a Thracian settlement first recorded in antiquity. Three shallow lakes, Atanasovsko, Mandrensko, and Vaya, surround the urban area and attract hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year. The Sea Garden, a seaside park stretching several kilometres along the coast, borders the Sand Fest sculpture event and the annual International Folklore Festival held each August. From the docks near Saint Cyril and Methodius Cathedral, ferries and roads lead south toward Sunny Beach and the ancient town of Sozopol, where the coastline reveals its oldest stories.