Plovdiv

A thriving metropolis on one side and a romantic picture-postcard town on the other: Plovdiv has many attractive faces. River Maritsa intersects the sprawl at the center, adding to the city’s beauty with a refreshing touch. Ever-loyal to their cultural inheritance, the people of Plovdiv have always prized the treasures left by the civilizations that settled it, from Celts to Goths and Huns to Slavic Tribes. With a day’s worth of exploration, visitors to this joyful town experience its long-cherished traditions in the way it would have been in the days of old.

Start your walking tour in Plovdiv’s historic center, and you will immediately be drawn to its time-worn side alleys, where nuggets of culture are hidden in Revival-style buildings, ancient ruins, and more contemporary hangouts. The 19th-century Orthodox churches tucked away in medieval lanes are rewarding places for a peaceful wander. The Roman city is also an exhilarating sight, overwhelming visitors with its perfectly preserved ancient ruins.

It might be an old city, but Plovdiv has managed to bring in the best parts of modernity into its spellbinding personality. Most of it clusters around Kapana—the creative district and arguably the hippest stretch of the city. Specialty shops are the best feature of Kapana, where you will find a motley collection of crafts and food at their finest. It is also recognized for its high-class gastropubs experimenting with fusion cuisine.

Like any other cultural capital in the Balkans, Plovdiv gains a different mojo at nightfall. Brash bars offer flavorsome crafts beers, and cozy wineries are a dime a dozen for those with a sophisticated taste.