Plovdiv 

Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria situated about 130 km south from Sofia on banks of Maritsa river. Its unique location on these ancient crossroads has stimulated strong cultural and political influence from East and West civilizations which maintained its cultural identity. Plovdiv is older than most of the oldest towns as Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople, and almost contemporary of Troy - it is a town with six millenia long history, build upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures. The city has preserved extremely valuable cultural monuments from the Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Bulgarian Renaissance coexisting in harmony with contemporary culture. Plovdiv is part of many tours in Bulgaria.

The most interesting landmark is The Old Town of Plovdiv Architecture Reserve which covers the Three-hill area. It is the original location of the town and almost all of the most interesting history-related sights are within it: cult, residential and public housings, archaeological monuments and museums, narrow cobble-paved streets.

Top Attractions:

The Ancient Theatre

The most impressive edifice of Roman time, was excavated during reinforcement works at the southern fortress wall. Nowadays it is used for staging opera and theatre festivals, concerts, municipal celebrations, etc.

Roman Stadium

The present-day downtown section of Plovdiv lies on the ruins of an enormous Roman Stadium, which had a length of 180 m and was intended for 30 000 spectators. The contests held here were similar to the Greek Olympic Games and dated back to the rule of Emperor Septimus Severus (193 - 211 AD).

The Beautiful Houses

The beautiful houses in Old Plovdiv are dated back to the period of the Bulgarian National Revival. Many of them have been proclaimed for cultural monuments revealing the genius of the Bulgarian builders.

Top attractions close to Plovdiv:

Bachkovo monastery

One of the oldest monasteries in the Bulgarian lands, it rises in the picturesque Chaya river valley, 29 km south of Plovdiv. Founded in 1083, Bachkovo Monastery is chiefly known for its original architecture, rich collections of old icons, jewelry, coins and church plate. The library preserves many valuable incunabula and old manuscripts. Its most remarkable feature, however, are the paintings that are seen everywhere - in the church and ossuary, where the figure of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Alexander is discernible among the 11th and 14th century murals, in the refectory (1601), in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin main church (1604), and in the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas church (1840), which contain some of the first murals painted by the celebrated National Revival artist Zahari Zograph

Assen’s fortress

21 km south of Plovdiv, above the road to Smolyan stands the historical Assen’s fortress which had existed even during the Thracian ages but became strategically important in medieval ages after the battle at Klokotnitsa (1230) when the Bulgarian King Ivan Asen II captured the Despot of Epir – Teodor Komnin. The feudal castle of the fortress with the tower and the two water reservoirs are thoroughly stied and conserved.

Winery Todoroff in Brestovitsa village

Winery Todoroff in Brestovitsa village is specialized in production of high quality red wines of "Mavrud", "Merlot" and "Cabernet Sauvignon" grape varieties in boutique series of limited quantity. The cellar is situated in one of the symbolic for the Bulgarian wine production villages - the village of Brestovitza. Wine cellar was built by Andonovi brothers in 1945. They were one of the most famous wine producers and wine dealers in Bulgaria of those days. The tradition of wine producing, inherited from the ancient Thracians, reflects in the approach used in Todoroff Wine Cellar nowadays..

Interesting Events:

As far as the modern Plovdiv is concerned, it often offers many international cultural forums and exhibitions.

• ANNUAL VERDI’S OPERA FESTIVAL – held every June in the Ancient Roman Theatre.
• CHRISTMAS MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
• THE EUROPEAN MONTH OF CULTURE (which is July) and a constant display of the masterpieces of many wide-known Bulgarians (Zlatjo Bojadzhiev, Tzanko Lavrentov, Hristo Stanchev and many more).
• Apart from the cultural events, in Plovdiv there is also an INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR every spring and autumn.
• THE NIGHT OF THE GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS - In the last six years, the Night of Museums and Galleries in Plovdiv has grown into one of the biggest art events in Bulgaria – an artistic landmark for both the country and the region.