Holiday in Plovdiv

What makes Plovdiv special as a destination?

Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe — older than Rome, older than Athens. Built on seven hills, it boasts over 8,000 years of history, and this history is omnipresent: a Roman amphitheater in the city center, Ottoman mosques next to Bulgarian national revival buildings, ancient stadiums beneath modern pedestrian zones. The Roman theater from the 2nd century, which was accidentally uncovered in 1972 during a landslide, sits atop one of the city hills and can accommodate 6,000 spectators. Summer evening concerts under the starry sky with views of the Rhodope Mountains bring antiquity to life — an experience that is among the most magical that Bulgaria has to offer. The old town on Nebet Tepe is an open-air museum of Bulgarian revival architecture. Magnificent merchant houses from the 18th and 19th centuries with protruding upper floors, artistically painted facades, and carved wooden ceilings line the cobblestone streets. The Ethnographic Museum in the Kuyumdzhiev House and the Hindlian Family House showcase the lives of wealthy Bulgarian merchants. Plovdiv was named European Capital of Culture in 2019 and has transformed this momentum into a thriving creative scene. The Kapana district, once a rundown artisan quarter, is now the vibrant heart of the city: street art on every corner, indie cafes, craft beer bars, galleries, and design shops. Every Saturday, the district turns into an open-air market with music and street food. Plovdiv's culinary scene surprises with a mix of traditional Bulgarian cuisine and modern interpretations. Shopska salad, banitsa, and kavarma are served in the mehanas (taverns) of the old town, while innovative fusion restaurants are emerging in Kapana. Accompanied by Bulgarian wine from the nearby Thracian Plain, one of the oldest wine regions in the world.