Bourgas City
Bourgas City is located on the Black Sea Coast and is the second largest city on the coast after Varna. It is also the fourth largest city in Bulgaria and has a population of just over 200,000 people. The city is a very important tourist centre as well as industrial and cultural city, attracting visitors from all the country as well as from Europe.
The warm summer months in Bourgas last from about May to September and Bourgas Airport is only 10 km from the city. There are regular flights to Bulgaria from May to September from all over Europe and flights from Dublin to Bulgaria are direct during this time. The average summer temperature in the city is about 26 to 30 degrees leaving it very pleasant and not too overwhelming.
Bourgas is surrounded by lakes and Lake Bourgas is the biggest lake, located in the middle of the city. It is an important stopover for migrating birds and welcomes over 250 species of birds, some endangered species. This in turn attracts keen birdwatchers from all over the world. Lake Atanasovo is a salt water lake in the region that is a hot spot for many listed species of plants and animals and flocks of storks, pelicans and falcons often land here in large numbers.
The largest oil refinery in southern Europe is sited here in Bourgas and is the largest industrial enterprise in Bulgaria. The city also has over 6,000 students that come to study from all over the country and there is a wealth of museums maintained by the historical society, some of them open air. There are numerous churches to visit and this includes the picturesque Church of the Holy Cross built in 1855 named as one of the city’s monuments of culture with intricate decoration and stained glass windows.
The port of the city is the largest port in Bulgaria and the fishing processing industry is very significant to the economy. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of Bourgas and of fishermen. On St. Nicholas day the fishermen, sailors and their families take a holiday and no ships or boats go to sea except for a memorial ritual. Fishermen already at sea will decorate their vessels with greenery and flowers and make anchor, celebrating with a meal to honour St. Nicholas.
Bourgas has something going on all year long and welcomes visitors who enjoy the beautiful architecture, the museums and Bourgas Opera House. There are many festivals throughout the year and the past few years the Bourgas National School of Music and Stage Arts holds the international audition for performances of German and Austrian music. Past winners of this prestigious competition include some notable Bulgarian and international musicians.
The city is very proud of its musical talents and every May it celebrates choral singing by hosting a festival of children’s choirs and youth groups from across Europe who come to compete and entertain family audiences. In the month of June the town of Nessebar hosts a children’s festival called Sun, Joy and Beauty. The children from all over Europe compete in classical, folk and contemporary music and dance, a wonderful event.
July has a 3 week festival of opera and classical music featuring top Bulgarian artists as well as international musicians and in August holds a long running International Folk Festival celebrating traditional culture of music, dance and performers. This festival features many artistic performances, a parade through the city, a scientific conference and a bazaar selling souvenirs as well as many traditional goods.
Close to the end of the summer there is a Bulgarian song festival called Bourgas and the Sea held in the city’s Seaside Park. This is a very popular festival featuring up-and-coming artists and the event can sometimes introduce the new hit song of the year. At the beach there is also plenty going on all year. As well as sunbathing, swimming, sailing and diving, kite surfing is a very popular and at the end of the summer the breeze isn’t too strong.
St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on 6th of December. This includes a traditional and colourful procession through the town and prayers for those lost at sea. A priest throws a silver cross into the waters and people dive into the sea to retrieve it. This festival attracts many locals and tourists. At this time of year Bourgas average temperatures are 4 to 5 degrees so visitors need to wrap up warm.
Bourgas Airport is the second most important airport in the country and during the winter months some nearby countries will still have direct flights to Bulgaria but flights from Ireland to Bulgaria will be by a connection in the UK.
