Plovdiv

Eco-friendly travel guide to Plovdiv advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to explore the attractions in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

A sunset aerial panorama shot above Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Air quality: 3 / 5

Exploring by foot: 4.5/ 5

Exploring by bicycle: 4 / 5

Public transportation: 4 / 5

Parks: 3.5 / 5

Outdoor activities:3 / 5

Locals' English level: 3 / 5

Safety: 3/ 5

Accommodation: US$80 - $400

Budget per day: US$50 - $400

Responsible Travel

Plovdiv is a cultural capital of the beautiful country Bulgaria which is also the second largest country of the country in the terms of surface area, Plovdiv is economically very important for its country as it contributes a very large portion towards the economy of its country, this city is also known for its educational centres which provide quality education to the students. Tourists who are visiting the city of Plovdiv should travel responsibly by not doing any such practice which can harm the environment of this city, they should travel green and follow all the green measures in this city.

Air Quality and Pollution

Although the city of Plovdiv is a very popular tourist spot where every year millions of people travel, this city is not at all safe when it comes to the quality of air and the pollution. The bad air quality of this city makes the life of the local people who are residing in the city of Plovdiv extremely difficult as the risk of getting diagnosed from any of the respiratory diseases is very high.

Respect the Culture

Every country or city has its own culture and moral values to follow which are different from any other region of the world. Plovdiv is known for its rich heritage and culture which is vibrant and a treat to learn about. Tourists who are on a trip to the city of Plovdiv must be very careful when they are talking about the culture of this city as the local people will not hear anything which sounds inappropriate against their culture.

Top 10 Places to Visit

The city of Plovdiv is a tourists attraction spot which accommodates more than a million tourists every year, there are so many fascinating places for the touristy to visit in the city of Plovdiv, names of top 10 places for the tourists to visit in this city are mentioned below.

Dondukova Gradina Park - Dondukova Gradina Park is a city park where every day hundreds of people pay a visit, this city park is present in Hristo G. Danov of the city Plovdiv which is ideal for some peace and down time.

Park Kronstadt - Park Kronstadt is another popular city park which is visited by so many people everyday specially during the morning and the evening time for going on a walk. This beautiful city park in the city of Plovdiv is mostly occupied by families on weekends for picnics etc.

Ancient Town of Plovdiv - Ancient Town of Plovdiv is a very old and ancient architectural reserve which accommodated so many monuments and structures which are extremely important for the city of Plovdiv.

Royal City - The royal city which is present in the city of Plovdiv is also one of the most popular tourist spots of the city as it accommodates several structures and monuments which are very fascinating.

Aquapark Aqualand - Aquapark Aqualand is an ideal place for people who are adventure lovers offering so many thrilling and interesting water slides. Kids will definitely enjoy their visit to this water park as there are so many activities for them to do here.

Municipality Plovdiv - Municipality Plovdiv is an area which is present in Stefan Stambolov of the city Plovdiv which has so many fountains and a very large kids play area where children can play so many outdoor games.

Singing Fountains - Singing Fountains or musical fountains are one of those unique places which tourists will hardly find in their own city or country, singing or musical fountains are present in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, people should visit this place during the night for better experience.

Alyosha - Alyosha is another monument which is present in the city of Plovdiv, it has a eleven metres high statue of Soviet with some extremely beautiful views of the city and tourists should definitely capture these city views in mobile phones.

Ancient Theatre Of Philippopolis - Ancient Theatre Of Philippopolis is a very ancient Roman theatre which was built in the 90's of the first century and is the first choice place for the tourists to visit.

Plovdiv Roman Stadium - Plovdiv Roman Stadium is a stadium where so many events are organised like musical events, cultural events, arts events and many more, this stadium has the capacity of around 30,000 spectators, this stadium was opened in the second century AD under the reign of Hadrian.

Plovdiv Roman Stadium

Explore

Plovdiv has much to see and so much to explore. You will have a packed itinerary if you plan properly. There is something for everyone. From city parks to national parks, beaches, landmarks, museums, restaurants and what not. Old Plovdiv is home to cobblestone roads and picture-perfect houses, many of which have now been turned into museums. The architecture of the Old Town of Plovdiv is stunning and unique due to the clear presence of the Bulgarian National Revival, an architectural movement which emerged after the five-century-long Ottoman occupation. With unique features like ornamented windows, jewel-toned paint jobs, curved wooden supports, and painted embellishments like birds and floral designs.

City Parks

Almost every corner of the city has a park that adds to greenery and beauty of the city. You can visit these parks to unwind and enjoy the greenery.

Garden of Tsar Simeon - Garden of Tsar Simeon is a very romantic place to visit and is ideal for the couples to visit as the atmosphere of this place is suitable for the couples, this city park is present in Veliko Tarnovo of the city Plovdiv and reaching to this city park is extremely easy as lots of transportation are available.

Plovdiv City Park - Plovdiv City Park is a great place for spending some free time as the greenery present in this park will definitely help the visitors to reduce their levels of stress.

Plovdiv City Park

National Parks

National park, an area set aside by a national government for the preservation of the natural environment. A national park may be set aside for purposes of public recreation and enjoyment or because of its historical or scientific interest. Most of the landscapes and their accompanying plants and animals in a national park are kept in their natural state.

Central Balkan National Park - Central Balkan National Park is a very picturesque national park where some very beautiful and fascinating views can be observed, this national park is a protected area which is present in the city of Plovdiv. People can get some very beautiful pictures of both themselves and also of the nature in this national park.

Botev peak - Botev peak is a very popular tourist attraction spot which comes under the category of protected area, botev peak is present in the city of Plovdiv which is known for bike riding.

Central Balkan National Park

Beaches

The city has plenty of great beaches for spending a relaxing day or just taking part in water sports. Most of them are clean and beautiful.

Sunny Beach - Sunny beach is one of the most popular beaches which is present in the city of Plovdiv, this beautiful beach has so many outdoor activities to do for the tourists and the local people of this city. This beach is mostly used for doing small get togethers and night parties as the environment of this beach is suitable for night parties.

Harmanite Beach - Harmanite beach is also a very beautiful beach which is present near to the city of Plovdiv, this beach is ideal for the children as the water is not too deep and the chances of drowning are quite less.

Landmarks

Landmarks are the must visit places for the tourists to visit as every landmark which is present in this city has a very unique and eye catching architecture. Names of famous landmarks which are present in the city of Plovdiv are mentioned below.

Ancient Theater of Philippopolis - Ancient Theater of Philippopolis is a very ancient landmark and a landmark which should be definitely visited by the tourists. This ancient landmark is present in region Tsentar of the city Plovdiv. This roman theatre was built during the reign of Domitian in the 90's of the first century AD and is a very popular landmark.

Ancient Town of Plovdiv Architectural Reserve- Ancient Town of Plovdiv Architectural Reserve is a very old town which is filled from ancient architectural reserves, this ancient town is present in Saborna Staria grad of the city Plovdiv

Ancient Theater of Philippopolis

Museums

Museums are one of those informative places which kids and students should definitely visit as here they will get to know so many new things about various topics of the world, there are so many informative museums which are present in the city of Plovdiv, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Regional Ethnographic Museum Plovdiv - Regional Ethnographic Museum Plovdiv is a very old and ancient museum which is present in Doctor Stoyan Chomakov" 2 Tsentar of the city Plovdiv. This ancient museum was opened in 1938 and inspite of being so old it is still in a very good shape.

Regional Archaeological Museum - Regional Archaeological Museum is also a very old museum which is present in "Saedinenie" 1, Tsentar of the city Plovdiv, this museum was opened for public display in 1882 and since then it has had so many visitors from all over the world.

Regional Ethnographic Museum Plovdiv

Eat

Tarator is a cold soup made of yogurt, water, minced cucumber, dill, garlic, and sunflower or olive oil

Bulgarian cuisine is definitely worth trying. It is hearty, delicious, and has a blend of unique flavours. The quality of ingredients is top-notch so the flavours that you will get to taste will definitely be far more superior when compared to other places. Some of the wishes that you should try include:

Tripe soup
Gyuvetche
Fried meatballs or kebap
Patatnik
Trator

Traditional Local Restaurants

The traditional and local restaurants which are present in the city of Plovdiv are always occupied by the visitors as most of the visitors want to try the dishes of Bulgarian cuisine. Tourists can search for the local and traditional restaurants of this city over the internet or they can also take advice from any of their local friend for relative who can suggest them the most favourable restaurant where they can eat. Names of some of the popular traditional and local restaurants which are present in Plovdiv are mentioned below.

Megdana
Pavaj
Restaurant Garden XIX Century

Vegetarian and Vegan

There are certain restaurants present in the city of Plovdiv which serve both vegetarian and vegan food to the visitors who are either vegetarian or completely vegan. Vegan people face more difficulties in finding restaurants then the vegetarian people as vegan food should be free from any of the animal derivatives. Names of some of the vegetarian and vegan restaurants which are present in Plovdiv are mentioned below.

Veggic
Sofra Turkish Restaurant

Street Food

Street food is not only tasty but it is also very cheap and affordable to purchase. Tourists who are interested in eating street food can consume it over the various street stalls which are present in the city of Plovdiv. There are so many such places where people can consume street food in the city of Plovdiv, names of some of such places are mentioned below.

Plovdiv Kapana District
My Place Burger Bar
COUPON Street Foot Art

Drink

Plenty of drinks to try in the city from alcoholic to non alcoholic. You will definitely have a fun time enjoying these flavourful drinks on your trip to Plovdiv. The prices of drinks are not exuberant so you can enjoy while staying within your budget as well. Some of the drinks that are worth trying include:

Misket Cherven
Dyuleva
Melnik
Dimiat
Mavrud
Rakia

Tap-water

Tap water is considered to be drinkable when we talk about the tap water being served in the city of Plovdiv, although the tap water of this city contains some kinds of impurities which can cause kidney stones and kidney related issues in some people. Tourists can use the packaged drinking water for the safety of their health as it's completely safe to drink and does not contain any kinds of impurities. The local people living in Plovdiv can also use water purifiers as they have the efficiency of purifying the water completely and thereby not leaving any impurities.

Organic Cafés

Organic cafes are one of those places which are always filled with visitors in the morning as the local residents of the city Plovdiv like to start their day with drinking a caffeinated drink. In small quantities caffeine is very beneficial for human health and the people of Plovdiv are aware of this, organic cafes consist of tea and coffee which are free from any of the harmful chemical compounds. Names of organic cafes which are present in the city of Plovdiv are mentioned below.

Vitafix
Art cafe
artnewscafe

Breweries

Beer has become one of the most popular and famous drinks which is consumed across the whole world, due to its low alcoholic content this drink is much more prefered over any other alcoholic beverage. In the city of Plovdiv also there are various breweries which are either present in or near to this city, the local residents of this city are very fond of consuming beer and they drink it everyday with their meals. Names of some of the breweries which are present in this city are mentioned below.

Wunderbaer - Hills Beer Bar & Shop
Cat and Mouse Craft Beer Bar

Activities

There are both indoor and outdoor activities both for the tourists and the local people of Plovdiv to do, they can do any activity of their choice and interest. There are several indoor sports complexes which are present in the city of Plovdiv where people can play so many indoor sports like table tennis, badminton and many more. People can also do various adventurous activities like hiking, snorkeling, diving and many more in various places which are present in the city of Plovdiv.

Yoga and Retreats

Yoga has gained so much popularity in the recent years as it has been proven really effective against the treatment of so many chronic diseases, the local people of the city Plovdiv also practice yoga as they are also aware of its benefits on the human body. In the city of Plovdiv also there are various yoga retreats which are either present in or near to this city which are always occupied by people during the morning, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Center for Yoga and Integral Development Ananda
Yoga Art Studio Shanti

Accommodation

Accommodation comes under one of the most important factors for the tourists when they are planning a trip to any country or a region, choice accommodation should be done very wisely as people should get every facility which they require during their trip. In the city of Plovdiv there are so many modes of accommodation which are available for the tourists who are on a trip to this city, people can choose any one of the accommodations which fulfills their criteria of requirements like budget, number of people and many more.

Green Hotels

Green hotels are the most opted mode of accommodation in the city of Plovdiv by the visitors as they provide all sorts of facilities to their visitors and try their best to reduce the budget. Green hotels follow all the green measures which are totally safe for the environment, such hotels are very helpful in reducing the pollution rates and thereby contributing towards the welfare of the environment. In the city of Plovdiv there are several green hotels present, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Grand Hotel Plovdiv
Hotel Imperial Plovdiv

Hostels and Guest Houses

Hostels are one of those accommodations which are mostly opted by the students as the facilities which it provides are quite less, there are so many hostels which are present in the city of Plovdiv, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Pijama Hostel
Funky Monkey Hostel

Guest houses are mostly opted by the people who are on an office trip to the city of Plovdiv, names of some of the guest houses are mentioned below.

Guest House BestRest
29А Guesthouse

Apartments

This mode of accommodation is considered to be the most comfortable and convenient mode of accommodation as it provides a lot of privacy and facilities to the residents. The middle class and the lower middle class people of the city Plovdiv are mostly opting for apartments as they are not only affordable but provide similar facilities like houses. There are so many apartments which are present in the city of Plovdiv, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Apartments Plovdiv
Art Apartments Milchevi

Couchsurfing

Couch surfing is a very common practice which is practised all over the world, couch surfing can make the trip of the tourists very easy and convenient as the local people can help them with all the information regarding the transportation, places which they should visit, dishes that they should consume and many more. Couch surfing is a very budget friendly practice and because of this it is very common in the city of Plovdiv also, this practice is budget friendly as it saves money over accommodation and food also.

Camping

Camping should be practiced only under an expert professional who has a good amount of experience in camping as there are certain risk factors in this practice, although camping has become very easy after the arrival of camping centres which have made this practice extremely easy and convenient. The local people of the city Plovdiv are also very fond to do camping, they do camping over the various camping centres which are present in this city.

How to Get There

Getting to the city of Plovdiv is quite easy and convenient as there are so many modes of transportation which are available for the tourists, tourists can choose any one of the transportation as per their convenience. Most of the modes of transportation are well developed in the city of Plovdiv which makes transportation very convenient in this city and people will face less difficulties in travelling. People who are traveling from another country to the city of Plovdiv mostly opt for air transportation as it is very rapid and time consuming.

Air

Air transportation is only good for the people who want to travel to any region or city of Bulgaria as there is only one airport which is present in the city of Plovdiv which is named Plovdiv Airport. Plovdiv airport is a domestic airport where flights from Bulgaria only land and take off, flights for any other is not available from this available and because of this international tourists need to opt any other mode of transportation to travel in this city.

Plovdiv Airport

Bus

Buses are the most opted mode of transportation in the city of Plovdiv as other modes of transportation in this city are not well developed, the condition of roads are quite good which makes the transportation through buses much more easier and convenient. There are several bus stations which are available in the city of Plovdiv from where passengers can choose the bus of their choice, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Bus Station Plovdiv
North bus Station
International Bus Station

A bus in Plovdiv

Train

Train transportation of the city Plovdiv is also very satisfactory when we talk about the services, train transportation is very budget friendly as the cost of ticket is much less than the ticket price of bus. People can book the tickets of their respective trains over the online websites, here they will receive discounts if they pre-book their tickets and they also get to choose the seats of their choice. There are several railway stations which are present in the city of Plovdiv, names of some of them are mentioned below.

Central Railway Station Plovdiv
Goods Station Plovdiv

Train in Plovdiv

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking nowadays is mostly used in the case of any kind of emergency like an accident, earlier this practice used to be extremely common across the whole world but as the cases of murder and robbery started increasing the people using this practice started decreasing. Hitchhiking can be a very effective practice to do in the city of Plovdiv as this city has a very good connectivity of roads which makes hitchhiking extremely effective in this city.

Others

Others modes of transportation are also available in the city of Plovdiv which are also highly used and are also very effective for transportation, taxi is one such mode of transportation which is available in the city of Plovdiv. There are several taxi rental agencies present in this city which are helping the local people of this city to travel from one place to another at reasonable rates. Tourists and the local people can also take bikes on rent in the city of Plovdiv and this would be much more affordable in comparison to taxis.

Moving Around

Tourists have so many modes of transportation available for moving around in the city of Plovdiv, they can opt for buses if they want to move around in this city at reasonable rates. Routees are also available in the city of Plovdiv through which tourists and the local people can very easily move around in this beautiful city. These routes are long jeeps which help passengers to reach their respective destinations, this mode of transportation is quite time consuming.

Walk

Walking is extremely important for the tourists when they are on a trip to the city Plovdiv, as walking enhances the rates of exploration and helps the tourists to find some more interesting things in this city to do. The local people of the city Plovdiv love to go on walks during the morning and the evening times, there are so many city parks which gives the most ideal environment for the people to go on a walk. The city parks of the city Plovdiv have tracks on which people can walk very easily, the thick cover of trees makes the walk much more effective.

Bicycle

Bicycles are mostly used by the people who are fitness freaks and are concerned towards their health, in the city of Plovdiv there are so many agencies which rent bicycles to the people. People can also rent bicycles online through the app very easily, on the app all the details are available like price list and type of cycle they want to ride.

Electronic Vehicles

Electric vehicles will get mandatory in the near future looking at the current situation of increasing pollution and depletion of ozone layer, the vehicles which run on fossil fuels like petrol and diesel are extremely harmful for the environment. Vehicles which are using petrol or diesel are one of the main reasons for increasing pollution rates, in the city of Plovdiv also the rates of pollution is extremely high because of these vehicles. There are some local people who are using electric vehicles by looking at the increasing pollution rates but most of the people are still using vehicles which are causing pollution.

Public Bus

Public buses are prime sources of transportation in the city of Plovdiv as this mode of transportation is the cheapest mode of transportation which is available in the city of Plovdiv. These public buses run on every route present in this city for the convenience of the people of every region of this city, public buses are extremely affordable and anyone can afford to travel in them. There are so many bus stops which are present in the city of Plovdiv from where passengers can board the bus of their choice.

Tram, Train and Subway

The long white colored jeeps are also one of the most preferred modes of transportation by the local people of the city Plovdiv, these long jeeps can carry decent amounts of people during a single trip and the charges are also quite affordable. Trains are also available in the city of Plovdiv which contributes a lot of proportion towards the transportation facilities of this city, trains are also very affordable and are much more affordable than any other mode of transportation.

Sustainable Shopping

The concept of sustainable shopping is gaining peak by every passing day as it has been considered extremely effective for the welfare of the environment. Shopping green contributes a lot towards the environment as the products which are available for purchase in sustainable shopping are completely eco-friendly, such products are totally free from any such materials or such compounds which can cause pollution or environment degradation. The local people of the city Plovdiv have also started using sustainable products by looking at its benefits towards the environment as well as on the human beings.

Food Markets

The food markets which are present in the city of Plovdiv are popular for the quality of food products they sell, in these markets every commodity which is related to cooking can be purchased ranging from spices to sea food. In the city of Plovdiv there are so many food markets and the local people of this city can purchase food products from any one of the food market as per their convenience, names of some of the food markets are mentioned below.

Thursday Market - farmers market
Sabota Pazara

Flea Markets

In the flea markets nearly every kind of commodity is present to purchase for the visitors, flea markets are ideal markets for purchasing commodities at much lower rates than usual. In the city of Plovdiv also the flea markets are extremely popular because of the budget friendly commodities which are available in these flea markets. There are various places at which these flea markets are present, names of some of the are mentioned below.

Bitaka
Metro

Second Hand Stores

The numbers of second hand stores are increasing by every passing day in the city of Plovdiv as the local people of this city are buying commodities from second hand stores regularly. The commodities which are available for purchasing over these second hand stores are in working condition and the people who cannot afford to purchase it in the new form purchase it from these second hand stores. Names of second hand stores which are present in the city of Plovdiv are mentioned below.

Frea 28
Second hand

Eco-Fashion

The term eco-fashion promotes the use of clothes which are made from materials which are eco-friendly or are made from materials which are recycled into a useful form and then used for the manufacturing of clothes. Such clothes are very useful in reducing the rates of environmental degradation as they can get disposed from natural ways, in the city of Plovdiv also the local people are using clothes which are eco-friendly by looking at its benefits over the environment.

Recycling

Recycling is a process of converting waste materials which are of no further and making something effective from it, in this process materials which are non degradable are mostly used as such materials can increase the rates of environmental degradation. The city of Plovdiv needs to improve when it comes to recycling although the companies which are present in the city of Plovdiv are trying extremely hard to recycle every kind of material. Recycling is a very effective practice if used properly and it can reduce the rates of environmental degradation and thereby contributing towards the welfare of the environment.

Waste

The waste management is also not satisfactory when we take regard of the city Plovdiv and this is the part where the government of this city should look after as management of waste is extremely important so as to maintain the rates of environmental degradation. Maintenance of non biodegradable waste is the most important thing to control the rates of environmental degradation as such kinds of waste do not get decomposed by the natural activities of the environment. The government of the city Plovdiv is trying their level best to manage the waste coming in this city, they are signing agencies for managing the waste in this city.

Work and Study Abroad

The job opportunities are also not so high in the city of Plovdiv and the people have to work extremely hard so as to get a job and make their living in this city. The universities which are present in the city of Plovdiv give chances to some selected students from their university to help them settle abroad.

Exchange Student

The universities present in the city of Plovdiv carry out exchange student programs every year for the students who are living in another city or region of the country Bulgaria. The education in the city Plovdiv is very cheap and affordable and the students who cannot afford to attain education in their own region or city can enroll themselves in the exchange programs and study in this city.

Au Pair

Au pairing companies and agencies which are present in the city of Plovdiv have done extremely well when it comes to providing jobs to the needy ones and increasing the rates of employment of this city. People who are in the search of a job can visit the au pair agencies and emget themselves enrolled, as soon as these people will find a suitable job for the candidates they will inform them and help them get a job.

Volunteering

Volunteering is considered to be the most effective method through which people can get a permanent job, although getting a permanent job through this method is not so easy. One needs to work extremely hard in volunteering so as to get a permanent place in the company or industry where the indoviy is doing volunteering.