The West Australian: Plovdiv, Bulgaria: This place is the European Capital of Culture..

As I walk down its pretty main thoroughfare, I feel embarrassed that just weeks ago I'd never heard of Plovdiv. I mean, this city has only been here for some 6000 years, making it one of Europe's oldest cities.

Bulgaria's second-biggest city has spent a long, long time being overlooked but finally it's been placed firmly on the map for it is now the European Capital of Culture for 2019, an honour which brings with it a significant increase in international media exposure.

Similarly unknown cities such as Wroclaw in Poland, Plzen in the Czech Republic and Umea in Sweden have reported surges in tourism as a result of their recent stints as European Capital of Culture.

 Plovdiv surely will experience the same given its generous appeal as a travel destination. One of its great strengths is that fact that it is undiscovered and so does not have the drawbacks of the many touristy cities of Europe. There are no pesky touts, few cheesy tourist-targeted businesses and an absence of overinflated prices (it's incredibly cheap).

Home to about 350,000 people, Plovdiv is also a great size - big enough to offer plenty of sights, but compact enough to be easy to navigate on foot. This is just what my mother and I do after alighting at Plovdiv Railway Station after an enjoyable three-hour train trip from Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. We walk along the grandly named Tsar Boris III Obedinitel Boulevard towards the Old Town.

Tourists who don't wish to hire a local tour guide can simply follow this thoroughfare which passes several of the city's key sites. First we reach the Garden of Tsar Simeon, a gorgeous park designed in 1892 and recently renovated to restore it to its original grandeur. Our visit is badly timed as we miss out on the light and...