← All routes

Historic layers · half a day

Roman Plovdiv in 90 minutes

ancient stages, stadium and forum

A compact circuit of ancient Philippopolis: from the Nebet Tepe acropolis past the theatre and the Bishop's Basilica to the forum, the odeon and the stadium. Every leg follows the published records of the Roman city.

With kids
Start this route
Click a numbered stop to jump to its description. The line follows real walking streets.

The line and walking times are computed from OpenStreetMap and are approximate — terrain and street closures can change them.

Open in your map app: Google Maps ↗ geo: ↗ Download GPX

When to go

Morning, before the heat — the theatre and the hilltop have little shade.

Getting to the start

Reach Nebet Tepe on foot through the Old Town — the climb from Dzhumaya square takes about 15 minutes.

After the finish

You finish in the heart of the centre: Kapana and the main street are a minute from the stadium.

Stop by stop

  1. Stop 1 of 6 · Thracian era

    Nebet Tepe

    Start at the city's oldest inhabited layer — the fortress remains on the summit.

    The oldest part of the city — here the Thracian settlement of Eumolpias was founded, later the acropolis of Philippopolis. Walls and towers survive from the 4th c. BC (cyclopean masonry), a 6th-c. Byzantine postern...

    suggested stay: ~15 min Open place →

    13 min walk · 1000 m

  2. Stop 2 of 6 · Roman period

    Ancient Theatre

    Walk down the cobbles to the theatre saddled between Dzhambaz and Taksim hills.

    Probably the best-known ancient monument in Bulgaria, built in the 90s of the 1st century AD under Emperor Domitian. Set in the saddle between two of the three hills, it seated about 7,000 on two tiers of 14 rows each....

    suggested stay: ~15 min Open place →

    7 min walk · 510 m

  3. Stop 3 of 6 · Roman period

    Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis

    The early-Christian basilica's mosaics are displayed inside the modern protective building.

    Early Christian temple, located in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

    suggested stay: ~10 min Open place →

    5 min walk · 390 m

  4. Stop 4 of 6 · Roman period

    Forum of Philippopolis

    The remains of Philippopolis's civic square sit beside the Central Post Office.

    The civic heart of Roman Philippopolis: a public square begun under Emperor Vespasian in the 1st century and completed in the 2nd, covering about 11 hectares. Ringed by shops, the city council's Odeon and other public...

    suggested stay: ~5 min Open place →

    4 min walk · 320 m

  5. Stop 5 of 6 · Roman period

    Odeon of Philippopolis

    The forum's small roofed stage is a step away from its northern corner.

    The smaller of Philippopolis's two antique theatres, built between the 2nd and 5th centuries. It began as a bouleuterion — the meeting house of the city council — seating about 350, and was later remodelled into a...

    suggested stay: ~5 min Open place →

    7 min walk · 500 m

  6. Stop 6 of 6 · Roman period

    Ancient Stadium

    Finish at the stadium's northern curve beneath Dzhumaya square.

    One of the largest structures of Roman Philippopolis, built in the 2nd century under Emperor Hadrian and modelled on the stadium at Delphi. Around 240 metres long, it could hold up to 30,000 spectators for athletic...

    suggested stay: ~10 min Open place →

Worth a detour

  • Eastern gate of Philippopolis

    The Eastern Gate with its paved Roman street is 5–10 minutes east of the Old Town.

  • Small Basilica

    The Small Basilica and its mosaics are a farther eastern detour — pair it with the Eastern Gate.

Good to know

  • Terrain The first legs are cobbled and downhill; after the basilica the route is level.
  • Food Cafés cluster around Dzhumaya square and Kapana — right at the finish.

The theatre, the basilica and the stadium exhibition keep ticketed opening hours — check ahead; the other sites are visible from the street.