Old town

The pleasing scene is sprinkled with old, red-tiled houses amid the hills, among the intertwining greenery. At certain places, houses are aligned atop steep rocks that plunge vertically into the lake below.

New archaeological studies have proven that in the 4th century BC, peope in Plovdiv were not only living on the Three Hills, but also on the lowlands around them. Excavations at the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis have revealed Hellenistic cultural layers that rewrite the history of the ancient city.

Plovdiv has all the right ingredients for a city break: a cobblestoned Old Town, impressive ancient ruins, and a lively drinking and dining scene. As Bulgaria's second city gears up for its tenure as European Capital of Culture for 2019, its historic centre and cafe-lined neighbourhoods have never looked better.

Old streets, young spirit

Plovdiv, in Bulgaria, is one of the two European Capitals of Culture for 2019. (Matera, Italy, is the second).

How did Plovdiv win this distinction? Simply put, it is because Bulgaria is one of the fastest- rising tourist destinations in Europe.

The active wedding season has begun, and in Plovdiv more and more newlyweds choose to marry the Ancient Theater. The emblematic place for the city is preferred mostly by couples in which one is a foreigner. There is also interest in the houses in the Old Town, many of which have recently been restored.

A previously unknown but wholly preserved Ancient Roman residential quarter has been discovered by accident in the city of Plovdiv in Southern Bulgaria, after the illegal demolition of a beautiful early 20th century house - leading to rescue archaeological excavations.

Learn more HERE!

The festival of the Old Town in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv is already running and its worth to see it. The opening started with an exciting folklore concert on the stage of the Ancient Theater with the participation of Trakia Folklore Ensemble from Plovdiv and Strandzha Folklore Ensemble from Bourgas. 

The festivities will run until 24th of September, reported BNT.

When tourists in Plovdiv visit the Old Town in organized way, they usually go through Tsar Ivan Shishman Street. Buses stop right next to the East Gate - a frozen archaeological site that is periodically cleaned of parasitic greenery, but in the rest of the time, no one is visiting it.

Kaleiçi, the historic city center in the southern province of Antalya's Muratpa?a district, will be submitted to UNESCO in May for inclusion on the World Heritage List. The historic district has a rich history, from the Pergamon Kingdom through the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods.