Bulgaria · a city to discover

Plovdiv.

One city. So many stories.

A Roman theatre, colourful Revival houses and coffee in Kapana. Get to know Plovdiv on foot, through its history, and at your own pace.

Your first day in Plovdiv Plan your visit
The Ancient Theatre
The Ancient Theatre© Edal Anton Lefterov · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

Places

A few places to fall in love with

All places

Revival

The Old Town

Revival-era houses and cobbled lanes across the three hills — no plan needed, just wander uphill.

Roman

The Ancient Theatre

A 1st-century Roman theatre that is still a working stage. Best towards evening, with the Rhodopes on the horizon.

Arts district

Kapana

“The Trap” — old artisan lanes, today a district of arts, cafés and slow afternoons.

Your ailyak pace

Give the city the time you have

No checklist. Choose a rhythm and leave room for coffee, shade and an unexpected turn.

70 min · 0.8 km

Kapana

artisan lanes, galleries and an art-filled bathhouse

 90 min · 2.7 km

Roman Plovdiv

ancient stages, stadium and forum

 165 min · 3.2 km

The hills

three hills, the Alyosha monument and the widest panorama
Walk the routes

History · with sources

The history is all around you

Timeline, people, stories and sources from prehistory to today.

Explore the history
01Roman periodTrimontium — a brilliant Roman city with a theatre and stadium.02National RevivalThe Bulgarian educational and church awakening.03Liberation & UnificationLiberation, the capital of Eastern Rumelia and the Unification.
Long reads with archive photographs — the 1928 earthquake, the fair city, the hills and more.Read the stories

Plan your visit

A little planning. More exploring.

Check the official sources for the latest details.

Arriving by train

Check BDZ for your travel date. From the station, follow our walk into the centre.

BDZ From the station

Cobbles and hills

Wear comfortable shoes for the Old Town. For gentler terrain, read our step-free route and its access notes.

Step-free

Museums and tickets

Check opening hours and admission before you go. A museum walk is a good starting point for a rainy day.

Ancient Plovdiv Museum day

Tourist information

Maps, local advice and help in person. Find the visitor centres and their current contact details.

Visit Plovdiv

What’s on in the city

Exhibitions, concerts and festivals. Check the official calendar for the dates of your stay.

Visit Plovdiv

“Ailyak” is Plovdiv's easygoing state of mind. Take in the city without rushing — one layer at a time.

Sources

Photos resized and cropped for display.