BOURGAS

Bourgas is the second-largest city on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. In terms of population, it is the fourth-biggest city in the country, after Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. It is the administrative city of the Bourgas province as well as a centre for industry and tourism. Bourgas International Airport is a connecting link to the main Black Sea resorts on Bulgaria's south-eastern coast such as Sunny Beach, Nesebar, Sozopol, Duni and Elenite.

Bourgas succeeded the Greek city of Pirgos, founded by colonists from Apollonia as an observation post and base against Mesembria, another important settlement in the region. In 1903, the advent of the railway gave an additional boost to the town's development. Unlike other Bulgarian cities, Bourgas was not significantly affected by communist town planning and the city has preserved its late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century character.