Plovdiv (Пловдив), Bulgaria

House in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria-Plovdiv-03.jpg
Author: Infobgv


Plovdiv (Bulgarian: Пловдив) is the second largest city in Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe. Covering 101.98 sq km (39.4 sq mi), it has a population of 338,000 people (2011 estimate), within a metropolitan area of over half a million people in central-southern Bulgaria.

Plovdiv straddles the Maritsa River, about 152 km (94 mi) from Sofia. It occupies the southern part of the Plovdiv Plain. The city experiences a humid continental climate with influences of the humid subtropical climate. Summers are hot and moderately dry while winters are cold and snowy.

July is the hottest month in Plovdiv, registering an average high temperature of 32°C (90°F). January is the coldest month, with average low temperature of -3°C (27°F). June gets the most rain, at 65 mm (2.56 in).

The history of Plovdiv spans some 6,000 years. The area has been inhabited since 4,000 BC, as evidence by the discovery of fine pottery carbon-dated to that period, indicating the existence of a settlement there.

Roman Theater, Plovdiv
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roman_Theatre_Plovdiv.jpg
Author: MrPanyGoff


Earliest written document of a settlement there was in the post-Bronze Age, describing a Thracian fortified settlement called Eumolpias. By the 4th century, it has developed into a center for trade. After it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, Eumolpias was renamed Philippopolis ().

Philippopolis was captured by the Romans under Marcus Lucullus in 72 BC, and returned to Thracian control. In AD 46 it was incorporated into the Roman Empire as the provincial capital of Thrace, and was renamed Trimontium, meaning "City of Three Hills".

By the 6th century, influence of the Romans in Trimontium was ebbing, and the character of the city evolved with influx of Slavs to populate the reion. At that time, it was back to be called Philippopolis by the Byzantine Greeks and Paldin or Plavdiv in Old Bulgarian. The name Philippopolis was in use until the early 20th century, although the Bulgarians by then have been calling it Plovdiv.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Louis, Plovdiv
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StLouisPlovdiv.jpg
Author: Maria Kumanova

Visiting Plovdiv

Plovdiv Airport (PDV) is the second biggest airport in Bulgaria. The new terminal building, opened on 1 July 2009, is among the most modern in the country. There are regular flights from London-Stansted by Ryanair. Charter airlines also provide services from Dublin, Katowice, Kiev, London-Gatwick, Minsk, Moscow and Samara, among others.

There are regular train services to Plovdiv from Sofia. There are also bus services from Sofia and other major cities in Bulgaria as well as from Istanbul and Bursa in Turkey.

Places of Interest in Plovdiv

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