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Plovdiv
Oldest and second-largest city in Bulgaria

Plovdiv

Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria and the most populous city in the Bulgarian part of the historic region of Thrace, located 144 km southeast of the capital Sofia.

Plan a trip to Plovdiv→From Sofia

It is considered the oldest European continually inhabited city, having been inhabited since c. 6,000 BCE. It had a population of 329,489 as of 2024 and 540,000 in its greater metropolitan area. An important economic, transport, cultural, and educational hub of Bulgaria, Plovdiv was the European Capital of Culture in 2019, and joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016.

Get in

Getting to Plovdiv

  1. 01
    Plovdiv International Airport

    The airport is served by a few low cost flights There is a bus, that goes from the airport to the central bus station "Yug".

  2. 02
    Yug
  3. 03
    Rhodope

    There are many buses for cities all around Bulgaria and to some that are outside the country.

See

Worth seeing

Old Plovdiv is compact and walkable, with the main central road blocked to car traffic. There is a good collection of Bulgarian revival buildings in use as museums, hotels, and restaurants etc. and is worth a visit if you have a chance.

  1. 01
    Roman Theatre

    The Roman Theatre, discovered in the 1970s during a construction project, is part of the pedestrian zone, and typically has merchants selling art and other items nearby.

  2. 02
    Roman Stadium
  3. 03
    Dzhumaya Mosque
  4. 04
    Plovdiv Regional Archaeological Museum
  5. 05
    Plovdiv Regional Historical Museum
Do

Things to do

Plovdiv offers many things to do, and most are easily walkable. The Hills - For starters enjoying the sunset from all the different hills is a must. Walk all the way to the top in the late afternoon, pick something to drink and stay for the sunset. Go down to enjoy the nightlife once it's dark.

  1. 01
    Bachkovo Monastery and Asenovgrad Krepost

    There are many bus connections Asenovgrad by bus from the Rhodope bus station.

Eat

Where to eat

Generally speaking, eating in Plovdiv should be cheap for the Westerner's pocket. Fast food is available and of high quality (in general). There are McDonald's, KFC, Kastello, Verde and other popular restaurants. The cheapest fast food could cost as little 0.50-1.00 лв to 2-3 лв and can be found along the main street. There are plenty of such places offering pizza, traditional food, and kebabs.

  1. 01
    Adisa

    There is a wide selection of vegetarian and local dishes.

  2. 02
    Elegant Chinese Restaurant

    Very tasty food, the staff is very smiling and kind.

  3. 03
    White Spider Pub
  4. 04
    Restaurant Uncles

    A great restaurant at the Maritsa river with very good fish cuisine.

  5. 05
    Unico

    Otets Paisiy 41 (next to the mainstreet),.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.