
Plovdiv
The city of Plovdiv is one of the oldest living cities in the world and the first in Europe. What was initially a Thracian settlement evolved into a bustling Roman city, but even before that Plovdiv was home to a Neolithic settlement dating back to 4,000 B.C. Over the centuries Plovdiv has been called Eumolpia, Trimontium, and Paladin. But its most famous name was Philippopolis, which translates into “City of Phillip.” Phillip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) conquered the city 342 B.C. and named it in his honour. By 46 B.C. the city landed in the hands of the Roman Empire. This city is the second-largest in Bulgaria and the oldest in Europe. But Plovdiv has something that Sofia does not – an old town on a hill. The city was founded 6,000 years ago and developed on seven hills, but one of them was destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century. The Old Town towers over the city centre with structures from different eras, including a remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheatre. The Old Town is best known for its Bulgarian Renaissance architectural style, with colourful houses displaying the National Revival’s unique exterior characteristics on every corner. Plovdiv is one of four Bulgarian cities shortlisted to be the “European Capital of Culture 2019”.
It is worth to see:
- Stadium (Knyaz Alexander 1)
Located in the center of Plovdiv at the original level of ancient Philippopolis, the Stadium was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century. The original construction had seating for over 30,000 spectators. What is an impressive chunk of the Stadium’s original 14 marble rows? Visitors will see part of the track, semi-circular rows of seats, and a panoramic visual replica of the original Stadium.
- The Forum - an open public square dedicated to economic, religious, and political matters. A Forum served as the marketplace and assembly point for Roman cities. Part of the Forum complex contains the Odeon - a 300-seat theatre used for council meetings, concerts, and theatrical performances.
- Cyrene's House /III C./, host in the Cultural Centre Trakart and known with the beautiful floor mosaics. The Trakart also has an exquisite collection of ancient ceramic and glass artefacts spanning over 1,000 years. The collection contains ritualistic, utilitarian, and decorative objects made by the Neolithic people of Plovdiv, as well as Thracians and Romans.
- The Ancient Roman Theatre is impressive. It is also one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in the world and still used today for a variety of performances.
- The Old Town has a unique look and feel. Cobblestone streets wind between colourful 19th-century homes featuring Bulgarian National Revival architecture (a cultural movement by Bulgarians to regain their identity from the Ottomans). Houses from this period were characteristically large, fancy, and richly embellished with murals, columns, porches, and handmade furniture. Many of these homes are now museums that are open to the public
- The Plovdiv’s Ethnographic Museum is housed in a beautiful house with richly Baroque decorated walls, which belonged to the wealthy trader Argir Kuyumdzhioglu.
The rooms inside are laid out to replicate the living conditions of people from the region - the Rhodope room shows a typical village interior with its basic wooden stool and shaggy rug while the Plovdiv guest room exhibits all the finery that the Plovdiv upper class would have owned. National costumes, musical instruments and traditional crafts such as pottery making and iron working are all on display.
If you want to come and visit Plovdiv, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our professional team will make your tour unforgettable.