Discover Plovdiv, Bulgaria: The hidden pearl of Eastern Europe
“From the very old traditions to the flourishing contemporary art and lifestyle, Plovdiv is a unique place that you probably have no idea about its existence.’’
Get ready to be blown away!
As being the second biggest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv is a destination number one you should consider visiting when you are in the country. At first I was a little skeptic about the city, considering the political situation in the country but just after I visited it I realized actually how much this beautiful place can offer you as a tourist and as a local at the same time. From a random guitarist, performing on the streets to these romantic projections at the amphitheater that would take you to another era.
Before choosing Plovdiv as my next destination, I did a broad research on the web. After visiting a few websites like Lonely Planet, The Guardian and Telegraph it came up that Plovdiv is marked as the future capital of culture for 2019 with a lot of new campaigns and social projects going on at the moment. I said to myself: That’s exactly what I was looking for, something different, unknown and interesting. First thing first after making my choice was to check for some cheap flight tickets. Not long after, my biggest friend: the luck, found me a return flight to Sofia which is the capital, for 40 euro with 3 nights stay in the country, which is a pretty decent price even for the low budget travelers.
And here I am, at the airport of Eindhoven, heading to this small eastern European country, with so many questions in my head, curious to explore the 6th oldest town in the world. After a not that long flight of approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, we landed successfully at Sofia airport. As there was no one waiting for me there, I decided to use the public transport so I could reach the main bus station of Sofia, where I got on a bus to Plovdiv. My first impression of the capital was positive as the infrastructure was well developed. There was a metro station right next to the airport which, if I have to be honest, surprised me.
It took me only two hours on the bus to arrive at my final destination- Plovdiv. After the bus left us at the central station, I found myself in a local cab, heading towards the guest house where I booked a room when arranging the accommodation from home. I’ve noticed that prices for the taxi were way cheaper, compared to the tariffs in the Netherlands. The only problem was the language barrier. I had to show the driver the address on google maps from my smartphone as I didn’t know a word in Bulgarian and at the same time the taxi driver wasn’t good with the English. Finally I arrived at the guest house. It was a beautiful old renaissance building, located in the old town of the city. However I couldn’t see much from the old houses around as it was already dark outside, so I decided to take some rest and enjoy the local cuisine at the guest house’s restaurant. The receptionist was very professional and welcoming. After checking in I headed to my room. It felt like I was staying at a museum. The beds were bought from local antique stores and carefully restored. The interior in the guest house was authentic, representing the local traditions and culture, from ornamented ceiling to furniture from previous epoch. I forgot to mention that this guest house was awarded as one of the best hostels in the world, according to hostel world. Moreover the world famous lifestyle magazine “hovering resident” appointed the guest house as number two in the world as the best luxury and affordable holiday accommodation. All the reviews on Trip Advisor were also outstanding. After leaving my luggage in the room, I took a shower in the shared bathroom and went for a dinner downstairs in the restaurant. The staff of the guest house was very hospitable, making sure that you feel at home. In the restaurant I had the pleasure to try Shopska salad with a shot of Rakia (a traditional alcoholic beverage) and Musaka for a main dish. It was absolutely delicious, I enjoyed the local food and now it was time for bed.
Around 9 o’clock I woke up, full of energy and ready to enjoy breakfast at the back yard terrace. While having Mekitsi (traditional Bulgarian fried bread breakfast dish) with jam and a glass of orange fresh juice, the Host joined me for a chat and gave me more information about where to go during the day and what is worth visiting. He also gave me the coordinates of free Plovdiv tours. I contacted them and we set a guided tour in the early afternoon. The tour actually started from the hostel I was staying, passing through several museums and old buildings, being protected by UNESCO as a cultural heritage sites. Visiting the gallery of Zlatio Boqdjiev seemed to be my favorite. This beautiful building was full of unique paintings, representing the local art culture. Next stop after the gallery was the Amphitheater. It left me speechless. This ancient building has been there thousands of years, appearing as one of the best preserved roman Amphitheaters in the world.
After a few hours of enjoying this beautiful part of the city and taking a lot of pictures, we headed to Kapana Creative District. If I have to be honest, Kapana is my favorite part of the city centre. This small district, located next to the old town, originally started as trade marking area, with narrow streets which can be easily described as a maze. Direct translation of Kapana is “the trap”. Nowadays Kapana is a beautiful place filled with fancy cafes, small colorful craft making workshops and graffiti projects on the walls. Furthermore tourists can enjoy domestically produced beer at “Cat and Mouse” café. There were some souvenir shops from where I bought a printed t-shirt “pLOVEdiv” and a magnet for my fridge. It was nearly time for dinner, so the guide suggested some of the famous local restaurants in the town center. My choice was an authentic restaurant with live music, offering all traditional meals. There were so many dishes in the menu that I would definitely have to come back and try all of them. I had “Giuveche” and “Kiufteta with Liuteniza” accompanied with a shot of Rakia of course. After finishing with the dinner and enjoying the live music I went back home to the hostel as I was so tired that I was literally falling asleep while walking.
On the next day I decided to visit the rowing canal and the famous hills which are located in different parts of the city. After finishing with breakfast I headed to the rowing canal, getting on a public bus. The ticket was only 50 cents which was impressive. Bus stopped right next to the rowing canal and luckily there was a rowing competition. The whole area around the canal was well maintained with beautiful green forests and a zoo next to the canal. There were several fancy cafes with playground for the children. The weather was sunny and warm so I took a walk around. It was great to spend some time on my own and get my things together. It was already two hours left before my bus back to Sofia. I took a taxi to the hostel, sorted my bags and went to the bus station. Plovdiv was one time experience that helped me understand the local habits and traditions. I will never forget this trip and would highly recommend this beautiful city to all my friends.
Goodbye and to the next one!
