Plovdiv

Introducing Plovdiv

With its innumerable art galleries, winding cobbled streets and bohemian cafés, it would be no exaggeration to call today’s Plovdiv (Plov-div) the Paris of the Balkans. Bulgaria’s second city equals Sofia in things cultural and is a determined rival in nightlife as well. Being a smaller and less stressful city than Sofia, Plovdiv is also great for walking, offering most of the capital’s amenities without its traffic or crime. Plovdiv is also a major university town, something that enhances its lively, exuberant spirit and guarantees great nightlife.

Plovdiv’s appeal derives first from its lovely old town, the Stariot Grad, largely restored to its mid-19th-century appearance and full of winding cobblestone streets. It’s literally packed with atmospheric house-museums and art galleries and, unlike many other cities with ‘old towns’, has eminent artists still living and working within its tranquil confines. The old town also boasts Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian antiquities, the most impressive being the Roman amphitheatres – the best preserved in the Balkans, and still used for thrilling performances.

Plovdiv’s modern centre, sprawling below the old town, features a shop-lined pedestrian mall, ul Knyaz Aleksandâr, which leads to a splendid square with gushing fountain. The nearby Tsar Simeon Garden is a shady, popular spot for relaxing. Plovdiv’s cafés and bars are widespread, though one concentration of popular places is found in the Kapana district, northwest of the old town.

Plovdiv’s always been one of Bulgaria’s wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities, and it’s also Bulgaria’s second-largest road and railway hub and economic centre. Although often used by travellers merely as a stop­over between Bulgaria and Greece or Turkey, Plovdiv repays a longer visit and will certainly draw you in if you let it.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009