Older than Rome!🏟️ Plovdiv is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe and the sixth oldest in the world, and my last visit here was... when I was 12 years old.🤭😮 I always knew that someday I'd see it again, and here I am — finally found the time.🤠
The second-largest city after the capital Sofia, with a long and rich history.👊📜 Over the centuries, Plovdiv has been ruled by Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and Bulgarians, and traces of all of them are literally under your feet. The city is renowned for its numerous archaeological finds and historical landmarks, and in 2019 it was named European Capital of Culture.🙆♂️
I wandered through the Roman Forum, the City Garden, the Odeon, the Roman Stadium, Dzhumaya Mosque, the Ancient Theatre, the Lamartine House, the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, the Church of Sts. Constantine and Helena, Hisar Kapia, the Ethnographic Museum, the Georgiadi House, Nebet Tepe, Balabanov's House, the Hindliyan House, and the Nedkovich House.👌 A tip from me: wear comfortable shoes — the cobblestones of the Old Town show no mercy.
I also soaked up the atmosphere in Kapana.🤷 The district was established during the Ottoman Empire and originally served as a trading hub. Its name, "Kapana," meaning "the trap," comes from the maze of narrow streets crisscrossing at every possible angle, creating the feeling of being caught in a trap. In recent years, the neighborhood has undergone a true revival and turned into a vibrant cultural and arts hub.👌
And of course, I tried the incredible specialties whipped up by Plovdiv's chefs.🍽️🍺🍗🥘
