Plovdiv trip
Bulgaria’s second-largest city, Plovdiv, is considered to be Sofia’s equal in terms of all things cultural, and some might say that it’s also a real rival in terms of nightlife.
While Sofia may be a compact capital, it is still a rather large city, at least for Bulgarian standards, well Plovdiv is considerably smaller than that, and as such quieter and generally less stressful. This might be a tip-off as to its penchant for art and culture, the city being known for having a high number of art galleries and an equally high number of bohemian cafes.
Considering that Sofia is a very walkable Bulgarian city, Plovdiv takes that queue and is itself a great town for walking, its winding cobbled streets being home to a plethora of attractions, nooks and crannies. The very culture-heavy vibe of the city is maintained by its rather high student population, because Plovdiv is after all a university town – this fact also guarantees the existence of a great nightlife.
A Plovdiv trip isn’t only art galleries and laid back atmosphere, far from it, there is a very lovely old town – Stariot Grad – which has been mostly restored to its mid-19th-century splendor, and of course the afore mentioned winding cobblestone streets are ever-present here.
This center is populated with house-museums and art galleries which are supplied by local artists who still live and work here, it’s quite unlike most other ‘old town’ areas of other cities.
The range of antiquities that you can see here ranges from the Thracian, Roman and Byzantine eras and possibly the most impressive are the Roman amphitheaters which are in fact the best preserved in the region of the Balkans and are still sued today for actual live performances.
Of course the city has a modern centre as well, it sprawls below the old town, and features a pedestrian mall, filled with every type of shop that you might expect from such an establishment, topped off by a wonderful square which features a gushing fountain.
Lots of things to see and do while on your Plovdiv trip, be sure to take your time and enjoy your trip.
