What to do in Plovdiv for a day
Plovdic was the highlight of my last trip to Bulgaria. The Old Town, the atmosphere in the Kopana district and the food. Wow, it exceeded all my expectation. Truly a must in my opinion
How to get to Plovdiv:
If you are on a road trip in Bulgaria, there aren’t any challenges getting there by car. If you are just visiting Sofia and would like to make Plovdiv a day trip, the bus is your best option or get on a guided tour if preferred. The bus takes about two hours, which is faster than the train.
Get to Plovdiv by bus:
We really enjoyed the bus ride. We chose Karat and they left on time, arrived a little early and had air condition. It’s also quite cheap, we paid about EUR 6 for one way.
We got our tickets at the bus station in Sofia the same day but the bus was almost full, so a tip is to get the tickets a day before just to minimize the risk of them being sold out. When we arrived in Plovdiv, we got our return tickets straight away before walking to the city center.
How to get to the city center from the bus station?
If you get there by bus I actually recommend walking. It takes about 15-20 minutes, then another 10-15 minutes to get to the Old Town. That way you’ll get to see some neighborhoods on the way and you’ll also walk through a beautiful park.
So, here are my recommendations for what to do in Plovdiv for a day:
Roman Stadium
Start by walking through the city center and see the Roman Stadium. The Stadium of Philippopolis was built in the beginning of the 2nd century AD during the reign Emperor Hadrian. The northern end is exposed, while the rest is under the main street of Plovdiv. It is kind of absurd thinking about the gladiator fights and sporting events that was held here in the past
Dzhumaya Mosque
Located right next to the Roman Stadium is one of the oldest mosques on the Balkans, the Dzhumaya Mosque
Regional Ethnographic Museum
Walk to the Old Town and Enjoy the sight of the quaint houses. The houses are so beautiful! The Regional Ethnographic was my favorite but you should also check out Balabanov House, Nedkovich House and the Hindliyan House
Ancient Roman Amphitheater
The ancient theater in Plovdiv is one of the best preserved ancient theaters in the world and is among their most significant findings from the Roman period. I managed to get the last 15 minutes before closing to check it out. As you can see, they were decorating and preparing for a wedding reception. What a beautiful wedding venue it must be!
St. St. Constantine and Helena
This is one of the oldest Christian churches in the city of Plovdiv. It is quite easy to notice the bell tower while walking the cobblestone streets of the Old town. It has been demolished several times and then built up again
Get trapped in Kapana District
When you’ve soaked in all of the Old Town and you feel like it’s time for some food or just a drink, visit the Kapana district. It’s so lively, the atmosphere is so chill and welcoming
