Plovdiv

Old Plovdiv

Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, and one of the oldest cities in Europe. It is located in the large plain between the Rhodope Mountains in the south of Bulgaria and the Balkan Range, or Old Mountains (Stara Planina) that runs through the center of Bulgaria. Both ranges are visible on clear days. The Maritsa River flows through the city on its way southeast before forming the Greek/Turkey border to the Aegean Sea.

Understand

Plovdiv is the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe.

Plovdiv is an ancient city, with a history traced back to more than 8000 years. Originally it had seven tall hills, some of which were used for quarries. It was controlled by the Romans and was called Trimontium at that time (the Three Hills - as the city was much smaller in terms of area compared to today), and from the world "phili" /which means sections/ and "popolis" which means city/ comes another old name - Philipopolis. There is a statue of Philip in the centre today. During the long occupation by the Ottoman Empire, a large mosque was built, still present in the centre area as well. During Communist times, a statue of the unnamed Russian soldier was erected on one of the three main hills which overlooks the city.

Today, Plovdiv is a famous tourist destination itself and also serves as a gateway to many other points of interest. Plovdiv is well-known for hosting the Plovdiv International Fair twice a year and for its ancient sites.

When you are in Plovdiv, you can get help and more information about the city from one of the two Tourist information Centers in the city. The first one is located in the center of the city, right next to the post office; when arriving in the city via train or bus through "Ugh" or "Rhodopi" stations, this is one of the first buildings you'll come across in the center of the city. The second one is located in the old city, on the main street (Saborna St), a little bit before the Etnographic museum and the Church of Saint Konstantin and Elena.

Tourist information centers can help you with all kinds of information including city maps, information about concerts, bus and train schedules, and finding a place to sleep.

Get in

By plane

Plovdiv has a small airport originally called Krumovo, now Plovdiv International Airport. There are flights from/to London, Milan/Bergamo, Frankfurt, Moscow and Rostov, (Russia)[3].

There is a bus, that goes from the airport to the central bus station "Jug". There are buses after every flight. On the way back to the airport you can choose one of this two ways. You can go there by a taxi and it will cost you about 15 leva /about 7.50 euro/ There is another way you can get from the city to the airport - by bus. You have to catch the bus from bus station "Jug", that goes to "Asenovgrad" and say to the driver, that you want to go to the airport / so he can inform them/. Then the bus is going to stop at KCM, and there will be another transportation waiting for you, to take you to the airport. Update (25.Mar. 2012): If you take the Bus to Asenovgrad you have to walk the last 3 kilometer from the Bus stop to the Airport. The fare is 1.20 leva.

By train

There are many national and international trains from and to Plovdiv.

There are many daily trains to and from Sofia. Duration is from about two and a half hours for the express ones to four hours for the slow ones. There is also one daily train to/from Istanbul in Turkey which takes about 11 hours.

You can check the timetable on bdz.bg

The railway station is located near the city center, it takes around 10-15 min. walk to the center.

By car

The A1 expressway/motorway connects Plovdiv westward to Sofia and eastward to Stara Zagora and Yambol. It is expected to be fully finished in 2013 and to connect Plovdiv to Burgas.
Other destinations require two-lane roads, such as the most direct route to Pleven, which is the somewhat adventurous Troyan pass road.

By bus

Plovdiv has 3 bus stations - "Jug", "Sever", and "Rhodopi". There are many buses for cities all around Bulgaria and to some that are outside the country.

Jug station has an ATM located just outside so you can easily get local currency there if you're arriving by bus from abroad.

Buses run approximately hourly from Sofia, and are slightly faster than the trains.

Metro Turizm is a Turkish bus company that runs daily bus service to and from Istanbul in Turkey. Busses going from Plovdiv to Istanbul depart from Jug Station daily at 11:00, 14:00, 19:00, 22:30, and 1:00. The trip costs 40 YTL (as of the summer of 2011) and takes roughly 7 hours, depending upon the vagaries of traffic and the border crossing. Metro busses also depart daily for Bursa, Turkey at 19:00. A second bus line (Alpar) also has a daily bus from Jug Station to Istanbul that departs at 22:30.

By boat

There is no boat transportation to Plovdiv.

Get around

Taxis and buses are prevalent. Downtown has a large pedestrian zone. Taxis are (Summer 2010) as cheap if not cheaper than bus rides when split between 3-4 people in general. A 5-7km of traveled distance was charged at around 5lv (charge for km is 0.75 leva daily and 0.95 leva nightly); an average ride within the city costs around 3 leva. The taxi arrives in about 3-5min. Remember to order the Taxi from the companies that offer the best deals and wait for it. Generally taking the taxi that is already waiting will cost you more (sometimes upto 5-times more) avoid them or ask for flat price that fits you! Learn who offers best prices from the locals who often use taxis. Most of the taxicars has 4-digit numbers on them, remember some and use it if you need a car, for example: 6155, 6142, 9199 and so on.

As of summer 2011, if your taxi ride costs more than 5 leva, you are entitled to a 20% discount off the fare.

Public bus tickets cost 1 lev.

See

The old Plovdiv is compact and walkable, with the main downtown 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 chance. The nearby Roman Amphitheater, discovered in the 1970's during a construction project, is part of the pedestrian zone, and typically has merchants selling art and other items nearby. Wander the cobblestone streets near the downtown to find the centuries old St. Marina church with a unique wooden tower, a mosque from the Ottoman Empire, and on the nearby hill the old town center. The old town center was walled, and has a famous gateway entrance. Nearby Puldin Restaurant has subterranean rooms where the old wall and historic artifacts can be seen. Continuing up the hill several older houses are now museums and the Roman amphitheater with an overlook of the town below is partially restored and still used for concerts and other occasions.

In the new center of the city, right before you go up into the old city, you will see the "Roman stadium", which dates back to the late 1st/early 2nd century. It had a capacity of 30,000 people; and as the Roman laws dictate that the city stadium should have seating for at least half the population, it summarily shows the town had 60,000 inhabitants during Roman times. In addition, the ancient theatre is capable of seating 6,000 people at once, and yes, as you already guessed, Roman laws were dictating that the theatres should accommodate one-tenth of the population at a time.

When you go to the other end of the predestrian street, next to the Tourist Information Center and the postoffice, you will see the Roman Odeon and Forum. The forum was to Romans what the city centres are to modern human. This one had three sides of 13 shops on each side, and a fourth one for the bank, library, and other institutions of this sort.

To the south of the city there is the Bachkovo Monastery, still in use. Farther into the Rhodope mountains one can find ski resorts and other natural attractions, such as the impressively narrow gorge and caves leading to Trigrad, not far from the mountainous Greek border.

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 there for the sunset. Go down to enjoy the nightlife once it's dark.

On one of the hills there is a kids train /don't worry it's not for kids/ that goues up into the hill and gets back down. It costs 1 lev and it's located on the Mladeshki hill. On the Bunardjik Hill you can see the monument of the unknown russian soldier - it's dedecated to all the russian soldiers who died in the russian-turkish war.

• Old Town - Another must is the old town of Plovdiv which is full of art, free of cars and very enjoyable. Go take a walk try it at day, try it at night it's amazing. Try some of the bars there are life performances sometimes there. You might be even lucky enough to catch an opera performance in the old roman theater.
• Center - Enjoying the central park during the day, especially if it's a very, very hot day. Once the weather settles hit the main street and the bars/discos.

These are only some of the thing you can do in this maginisun city.

Free city tour

Yes, that's right — there is a free tour of the city every Wednesday. It starts at 9:30 from the tourist information center, which is located next to the post office. Tours are conducted in Bulgarian and English and by professional tour guides. It takes around one hour and half to two hours. Have yourself registered in advance — this has to be done until 5PM the previous day. More information on Department of Tourism's website

Also, Free Plovdiv Tour started walking as of July 2012. The free English-language tour is every day at 2PM (despite any bad weather, even on holidays). Starting point - Central Post Station. Ending point - Nebet Hill. Organized by guides from "Free Sofia Tour" non-profit organization. No need for reservation, just show up! More information on Free Plovdiv Tour's website

Attend a Folk/Jazz music festival

The International Festival Plovdiv Jazz Nights is a low key but high quality 3 day event featuring some of the nation's best musicians along with some regional talents. Be there to witness a riot of colourful improvisations from great musicians. A variety of genres, styles, instruments are used although the music revolves around the central theme of Jazz and Blues. In 2011, It was held from 6th to 8th Oct.

Buy

You can buy many different souvenirs from Bulgaria, that represents the country.

Bulgarian rose tend to be one of the most popular souvenirs from the country. You can buy all kinds of rose stuff — mostly cosmetics from soaps to shampoos, gels, oils, and perfumes.

Cutlery made of wood or clay might also be worthwhile to look for.

Or perhaps you might be looking for a painting or even a musical instrument?

Many great antique shops that have things from the Russo-Turkish War up to World War 2

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 McDonalds, KFC, Kastello, Verde and other popular restaurants.

Budget

The cheapest fast food could cost as little 0.50-1.00lv to 2-3lv and can be found along the main street. There are plenty of such places offering pizza, traditional food, and kebabs.

Mid-range

There are some low-end restaurants that will be fairly affordable pay attention to the menu and think about 10-15lv for a full meal (salad, main course, dessert, drink(s)).

Splurge

Paying more will probably get you a slightly better food than the options above but most of the cost will definitely go towards the overall experience. The priciest places are located in the old town, on top of the hill. Expect to pay a bit more say 20-30lv and above. There are also a few restaurants outside the center.

Drink

Club Zanzibar is the ideal place to drink in Plovdiv. It contains a stylish African interior Cocktail Bar which offers the best drinks in the city and at night time offers the largest nightclub in all of Plovdiv.

Sleep

• The Crib Hostel, Parchevich 5, ☎ +359877708892. checkout: 11. The Crib is located on the two top floors of a building directly in the city center: Enjoy the great view from its rooftop on the old theatre! Doorms and Private rooms available, high quality, breakfast included. Contact: [email protected] 10Eur.

Budget

• Hostel Mostel, 13, Petar Parchevich Str., Ул. Петър Парчевич 13 (Just across the Central Square of Plovdiv. Good directions on website.), ☎ +359 897 100 185 ([email protected]), [1]. Less than 10 minutes walking from the central train and bus stations, less than 5 minutes walking to the old town. Friendly and helpful staff who speak good English, clean, relatively new place, wifi everywhere, space for tents, kitchen for use, lockers (not key card like described on the website). Washing service available. Also, garden isn't too nice. Overall, it's a great value for the place. Starting at 20 BGN for a dorm, with breakfast and simple dinner included..
• Hiker's hostel [4] - very helpful and friendly staff. 22 lv per person per night with free breakfast. Very centrally located and if there is no room they will provide tents in the garden. Will also organise trips to a number of local attractions if you can find a few people to go with you.
• Hotel Plovdiv Guest [5], 20 Saborna Street, +359 32 622 432 (e-mail: [email protected]. Twelve rooms in the heart of the touristic zone - The Old Town of Plovdiv. Not just a hotel but also a place for cultural activities and meetings where one can also find a tourist information center, exhibition hall with a stand for selling pieces of art and souvenirs, art cafe with an art gallery where various cultural events and seminars take place. The art cafe (24 seats) is also used for breakfast and at the same time it's a perfect place for exhibitions, seminars, literature readings and other cultural events. The rooms are very clean and shiny. Each has got own its colour and spirit.

Splurge

• Trimontium Hotel [6] - Probably the best service you will ever receive and the most luxurious rooms to ever stay in, some comlpete with jacuzzi. There is a price to pay for luxury and the Trimontium is around 100 USD per night.

Stay safe

Generally speaking Plovdiv is a very safe place. Avoid the ghetto area and you will be very safe. Old town and the main street are generally very busy and safe. Parks during the day are safe avoid them at night unless you are with a larger company. Avoid picking a verbal fight with locals! Avoid wearing football shirts or scarves of the Plovdiv or Sofia-based football teams,especially on match days. Overall the city has improved in terms of safety over the past years.

If you are using public transport always keep an eye on your personal belongings. Many pickpockets take advantage of overcrowded buses (like bus line 1, e.g.).

Cope

Consulates

• Greece, Preslav Str. 10, ☎ +359 32 625 366, Emergencies:+359 895 533 990 ([email protected], fax: +359 32 268 818), [2]. M-F: 08:30-16:00.

Get out

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!