A walk through time in Plovdiv

Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria, is Europe's oldest continually inhabited city, and is the 2019 European Capital of Culture... and boy, does it have some culture.

We went for a walking tour today, starting at the new end of their mall ("the longest walking street in Bulgaria"), built in the 2000's, followed by an area built in the 1800s with a strong Viennese influence, the old town (1700s Revival style), mosques built by the Ottomans, a Roman era ampitheatre (200 AD) and the ruins of a fort on one of the surrounding hills, dating back to 5000 BC.

Plovdiv is surrounded by 6 hills - it used to be 7, like Rome, but one was destroyed in the beginning of the 20th century and the material was used for the pavement of most streets in Plovdiv, and is now home to a shopping mall.

The two main ancient sites are the Stadium of Phillippopolis, which was renovated in 2010 and a section is visible in the centre if town, and The Roman Amphitheatre, which was uncovered during a landslide in 1972 and is now fully restored. It seats 3000 spectators and hosts regular concerts and events.Read more