Plovdiv
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At a glance
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Region
- Plovdiv Province
- Population
- 345,000
- Best time to go
- May to June, September to October
- Main airport
- Plovdiv (PDV); most travellers fly into Sofia (SOF)
- Coordinates
- 42.14°N, 24.75°E
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Overview
Plovdiv is Bulgaria's second city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans all left their mark across its hills above the Maritsa river.
Today it is relaxed and creative, with a pedestrian main street built over a Roman stadium, a hilltop old town of colourful nineteenth-century mansions and a lively quarter of bars and galleries. It was a European Capital of Culture in 2019 and is easy to love.
Things to see
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Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0 Roman Theatre
A beautifully preserved amphitheatre with views over the city, still used for opera and concerts in summer.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0 Old Town
Cobbled lanes lined with brightly painted Revival-era houses, many now museums and galleries.
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Photo: Laurens R. Krol, CC BY 4.0 Roman Stadium
The curved end of a huge ancient stadium, revealed beneath the main square and the shopping street.
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Photo: VladislavNedelev, CC BY-SA 3.0 Nebet Tepe
The hill where the city began, with ancient ruins and wide views across the rooftops at sunset.
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Photo: young shanahan from Bogotá, Colombia, CC BY 2.0 Kuyumdzhioglu House
An ornate merchant's mansion housing the regional ethnographic museum.
Tickets and tours
Things to do
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Photo: Realsteel007, CC BY-SA 4.0 Evening in Kapana
Fill an evening in this quarter of narrow streets, craft beer bars, small galleries and street art.
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Photo: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0 Bachkovo Monastery
Bulgaria's second-largest monastery, with fine frescoes, in the Rhodope foothills south of the city.
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Photo: Elena Chochkova, CC BY-SA 3.0 Taste Thracian wines
Visit a winery in the surrounding valley to try local grapes like mavrud and rubin.
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Photo: Bollweevil, CC0 Climb Bunardzhik hill
Walk up to the Soviet-era Alyosha monument for panoramic views over the city.
Where to stay
Old Town
Atmospheric guesthouses in historic houses, though steep and cobbled.
Hotels in Old TownKapana and the centre
Lively and central, close to the main street, restaurants and nightlife.
Hotels in Kapana and the centre
Getting around
The centre is compact and best explored on foot, though the cobbled Old Town is hilly. Taxis are cheap and plentiful.
Trains and buses connect with Sofia in about two to two and a half hours; Plovdiv's own airport has a limited schedule.
When to go
Late spring and early autumn are warm and pleasant. Summer can be very hot, but brings open-air performances at the Roman theatre. Winters are cold and quiet.
Plan your trip to Plovdiv
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.