Must see attractions in Plovdiv

Plovdiv’s magnificent 2nd-century AD amphitheatre, built during the reign of Emperor Trajan, was uncovered during a freak landslide in 1972. It once held…

One of Plovdiv's most beautiful Bulgarian National Revival–era mansions, Balabanov House is an enjoyable way to experience old town nostalgia as well as…

Even if you don't have time to step inside, it would be criminal to leave Plovdiv's old town without glancing into the courtyard of this stunning National…

Close to Nebet Tepe hill, this late 18th-century house was the residence of local painter and conservationist Atanas Krastev until his death in 2003…

This 100,000-item museum is a tour de force of Thracian and Roman artefacts, as well as icons and ecclesiastical artefacts from recent centuries. Most…

Plovdiv's prettiest place to stroll, Tsar Simeon Garden was sculpted by Swiss architect Lucien Chevalas in 1892; he's now lovingly referred to as the …

This is Plovdiv’s oldest church and one of its most beloved. Dedicated to Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother, Helena, it was built on the spot…

Some 203m high in the old town, a hill with spectacular views reveals sparse ruins of Eumolpias, a Thracian settlement in 5000 BC. The fortress and…

Painted a fetching shade of butter-cream yellow, this three-nave church looks out proudly from a stone staircase at the base of the old town. Built in…

Once owned by merchant Stepan Hindlian, this opulent house was built between 1835 and 1840. It’s full of exquisite period furniture and walls painted with…

A little-visited 16th-century gem, Sveta Marina Church has suberb Old Testament murals on its outer walls, depicting scenes from Adam, Eve and a…

While the once-huge 2nd-century Roman stadium is mostly hidden under a pedestrian mall, there are stairways from different sides allowing for exploration…

Plovdiv's Historical Museum concentrates on the 1876 April Uprising and the massacre of Bulgarians at Batak, which directly led to the Russian declaration…

Occupying an 1881 girls gymnasium, this gallery contains more than 7000 artistic works by 19th- and 20th-century masters, including Nikolai Pavlovich,…

Get two famous Bulgarians for the price of one at this tasteful National Revival–era mansion. Seventy-two paintings by Plovdiv native Zlatyu Boyadjiev …

Bulgaria's first working mosque, this unmissable Ottoman building in the middle of Plovdiv's pedestrianised shopping zone was originally built in 1364. It…

Housed in a grand old-town mansion where Plovdiv's budding artists worked in the 1960s, this special place celebrates the life and works of Dimitar Kirov,…

For something completely different, this time-warp 1846 house has displays of 1970s Mexican woodcuts, serigraphs and copies of pre-Columbian art…

Visible through floor-to-ceiling windows in the Tsar Obedinitel underpass, Cultural Center Thrakart contains extensive Roman floor mosaics and various…

'Milyo the idiot', as he's affectionately known, was a local prankster and mimic, fondly remembered in Plovdiv's shopping precinct in the form of a statue…