Located at the westernmost point of the Black Sea, the city of Burgas is one of the largest Bulgarian cities on its coastline. It is surrounded by the picturesque Burgas Lakes and serves as an important industrial, transport and cultural hub in the country.

The Archaeological Museum is a good starting point to witness the historical riches of Burgas, with ancient Roman, Byzantine and Greek artefacts on display, while the Ethnographic Museum highlights the diversity of cultures which have left their mark throughout the centuries. The Burgas Historical Society operates open-air museums at the Thracian rock sanctuary of Beglik Tash to the south of the city and the former Roman City at Develtum to the south-west, while the Roman mineral baths of Aqua Calidae-Thermopolis are also situated nearby, built during the 1st millennium BC.
The "Morskagradina" Sea Garden hugs the waterfront and offers fantastic views across Burgas Bay along its leafy walking trails, together with cafes and bars which line its sandy beach. To the west of Burgas is Vaya Lake, the largest natural lake in Bulgaria and a prime birdwatching destination. More than 250 resident and migratory species pass along what is known as the Via Pontica “migration highway” and includes Lake Atanasovskoto the north and Mandrensko Lake to the south. Mandrensko is home to the protected Poda Wetlands, with gulls, terns, waders and rare pygmy cormorants all spotted here, together with red-footed falcons and Dalmatian pelicans.

Burgas Airport has flights to destinations across Europe, particularly during the summer months, while the main railway station connects with cities across Bulgaria and Eastern Europe throughout the year. Public buses are the primary form of transport in and around the city as well as along the coast, with minibus services covering similar routes.

Archaeological finds indicate that humans have occupied the area that is now Burgas dating back 3,000 years, with the Thracians establishing their sanctuary at Beglik Tash during the Early Iron Age. Ancient Romans built the Colonia Flavia Deultemsium near Burgas as a veteran military colony during the 1st century AD, before the Byzantine Empire established the city as an important Black Sea port.