Sand Sculptures

The ephemeral art of sand, in Burgas

The Sand Sculptures of Burgas are the work of the city's annual sand-sculpture festival, one of the summer attractions that has established itself on Bulgaria's southern Black Sea coast. Each summer, sculptors from Bulgaria and abroad turn tonnes of sand into monumental figures, usually arranged around a theme chosen for that edition — historical characters, mythology, fairy tales or cultural events.

What to see

The exhibition is staged outdoors in a Burgas park and can be walked through in a few dozen minutes. The sculptures impress with their scale and the level of detail achieved in such a fragile medium. Because the work is temporary and rebuilt from scratch every season, the theme and look change from year to year, so each edition is different.

Practical tips

The festival generally runs through the summer season, with an entrance ticket. Soft morning or evening light brings out the relief of the sculptures best for photographs. The site is easy to reach from central Burgas and pairs naturally with a stroll through the Sea Garden and along the beach. The theme, schedule and ticket price differ each year — check the current details before your visit.