Plovdiv

Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria. It is the cultural capital of Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is built around six hills (Plovdiv Tepes), which are an inseperable part of the history. The hills are a colorful sight, as they rise in the middle of the flat field of the Upper Thracian plain, they are the symbol of Plovdiv. Although the hills now fall within a busy urban area, they are home to rare species of plants and animals

Life in Plovdiv has not been interrupted for almost eight millenia, which makes its history extremely rich and interesting. The city is older than Rome, Athens, Carthage, and Constantinople. The current city rests on the remains of many previous settlements, which account for its rich cultural heritage.

What to do?

Walk around the old town of Plovdiv – it is an architectural and historical reserve located on three of Plovdiv’s hills – Nebet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe, and Taksim Tepe. This part of the city combines culture and architecture from Antiquity, Middle Ages, and Bulgarian revival. Walking around the old town you will enjoy beautiful wooden-frame houses, churches, museums, and galleries. There is also a guided city tour, which we would suggest.

You can go to the top of Nebet Tepe where you can find remains of fortress walls, towers; you can also enjoy the panoramic views of other hills and the city.
Visit the Anciet Theatre of Philipoppol – one of the best preserved in the world and among the most significant findings from the Roman period. Today the Ancient Theatre is operating as a stage for opera, music, and drama.
If you want to look more into the history and culture you can visit the Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum, The Balabanov House, The Danov House, The Hindliyan House, and the Lamartine/Mavridi House.

In the city center you can walk around on the main street, which is a pedestrian zone starting from Stefan Stambolov square. While walking you can enjoy its beautiful buildings, visit shops, places to eat and drink. You can go to the Roman stadium, visit the Dzhumaya mosque. As part of the city center you could also visit Kapana district – the cultural heart of the city. Here you will walk around smalls streets, enjoying local craft shops, galleries, ateliers, with a great range of places to eat or have a drink.

You can spend time doing some outdoor activities like walking around the Tsar Simeon’s Garden, where you can also enjoy the “Singing Fountains” during nighttime. Further from the city center you can go to the Rowing Canal – a sport facility for rowing where you can also enjoy a pleasant walk around the canal. Another great walk could be going to the Alyosha monument – located at the top of Bunardzhika Hill. This is a great place to walk, relax, enjoy the nature and have a panoramic view of the city.