BG
Plovdiv
One of Europe’s oldest cities, with a Roman theatre, colourful Revival houses and a creative quarter
One of Europe’s oldest cities, with a Roman theatre, colourful Revival houses and a creative quarter
Built in the 1st–2nd century AD, the marble theatre of ancient Philippopolis was uncovered by a landslide in the 1970s. It still hosts concerts and opera in summer.
Check the programme for evening performances.
Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Part of a huge 2nd-century stadium lies below the main pedestrian street. You can see the curved end and seats from the square above.
Photo: BrankaVV, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cobbled lanes climb past 19th-century Bulgarian Revival mansions with painted facades. Several, such as the Balabanov House, are museums.
Photo: Община Пловдив, CC BY-SA 4.0
The “Trap” is a grid of narrow streets full of bars, galleries, craft shops and street art. It is busiest in the evening.
Photo: Община Пловдив, CC BY-SA 4.0
The hill at the top of the Old Town holds the remains of the earliest settlement and fortress. It is a popular spot for sunset over the city.
Photo: Laurens R. Krol, CC BY 4.0
Try shopska salad, banitsa (cheese pastry), grilled kebapche and local wines from the Thracian Valley.
Kapana and the Old Town have many good-value restaurants.
Trains and buses run from Sofia in about 2–2.5 hours. Plovdiv airport has a few flights, but most visitors arrive via Sofia.
The centre is compact and walkable.
Bulgaria adopted the euro (€) on 1 January 2026, replacing the lev. It remains one of the cheaper countries in the EU.
Ancient ruins and lively streets.
See the stadium, walk the main street, then climb to the Roman theatre and Old Town.
Visit a Revival house, watch sunset from Nebet Tepe and dine in Kapana.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Bulgaria is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Old Town streets are steep and uneven.
Summer concerts at the Roman theatre are memorable.
Day trips to nearby wineries are easy to arrange.
Prices are now in euros; check that change is correct.
Quick answers for planning time in Plovdiv.
By train or bus in about 2–2.5 hours.
Yes, for its Roman ruins, Old Town and food scene.
It has been inhabited for thousands of years and is among Europe’s oldest cities.
The euro, since 1 January 2026.
April to June and September to October.
Planning a wider trip? Our Bulgaria travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.