We love walking in Plovdiv and have repeatedly recommended that you explore the small intersections. Especially in the center, you may find yourself in Kapana, but there is nowhere to get lost. In the City under the hills, wherever you look, you will come across ancient buildings, quiet courtyards and hidden secrets. And if you need a guide to our favorite Plovdiv streets, look no further. We have selected 6 of them to go around with a camera in your hand and admire the typical atmosphere of the oldest city in Europe.
Well, we have to start with Main Street. Walking in the center is a must, especially on weekends. The street is named Knyaz Alexander Battenberg I, but everyone just calls it Glavnata. Because of its length, it is conditionally divided into two parts - the Small and the Big Main Street. Along with it, besides being able to see the preserved authentic look of buildings from different Bulgarian eras, you will find numerous places for entertainment, food, and drinks. Be sure to look up and don’t miss a single detail, because sometimes the most interesting elements are high above our heads.
Just a few steps away and you will come to our next favorite street - that of parallel culture. Because Otets Paisii is not only an intersection of Main Street but also another place where we all stand with our mouths open and wonder where to look. Its large pavements descend from the Dzhumaya Mosque to the Central Post Office, where it literally crashes into the ancient Roman Forum and the Odeon. Its length is a modest 420 meters, but they are quite sufficient to collect many famous city points, important in the past and today. You can see all kinds of buildings, from several decades, inhabited by prominent public figures, entrepreneurs, tobacco traders, craftsmen. You will experience the clash of cultures, time and social status.
From the Dzhumaya and Otets Paisii Street, we turn sharply to the right, where in Old Plovdiv we won’t be exaggerating if we say that every street is a picture. House ornaments, bits of history at every corner and small antique shops where you can find all kinds of treasure! If you have to visit only one place in the City under the hills, then this must be the Old Town. Be sure to take a stroll along the Crafts Market on Strymna Street, which is one of the most attractive streets. By stepping on it, you will not just eat delicious bread and get something beautiful to take home, it will literally draw you into the magical world of handicraft. The name is not quite exaggerated, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
In the other direction from the Roman Stadium, the walk won’t disappoint you either. There is the recently renovated Hristo G. Danov, known among many elderly citizens of Plovdiv as "Zaimov", and with his first name - Ferdinand. In the period after the Liberation, at one end was the mayoralty and at the other was the Dzhumaya Mosque. Every house here is a story and the houses of a large part of the Plovdiv elite were located here - Ivan Vazov, Hristo G. Danov, Yoakim Gruev, Dragan Manchov, and others. However, one of the most beautiful buildings is undoubtedly the one in number 17. The house with the nymphs was designed by the Italian Emilia Sabeva and fascinates the connoisseurs with its specific ornamentation and style. Just below is the Puppet Theater building, which used to house the charity Mother Care. Many charity events and parties have taken place here, and today the actors recreate the magical world of stories in front of the curious eyes of the little ones. For years, the iconic Fairytale Bus was parked in front of it, which added great color to the intersection.
At the opposite end of Main Street along the Tsar Simeon's Garden, the streets are also extremely picturesque and colorful. Ivan Vazov will probably be the first street you will remember in the City under the hills if you come by train or bus. It is also the urban area with which the industrialization of Plovdiv is most clearly associated with at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Prominent architects designed houses there for the richest and noblest citizens, and today you can see the remnants of the tobacco city where the cigarette industry was concentrated.
Parallel to it, in the immediate vicinity of the garden and with magnificent views of the Singing Fountains, is Veliko Tarnovo Street. It stretches from Central Square all the way to Vasil Aprilov Blvd and the walk on it is like real timelessness. Although it is located very close to Main Street, it is not very lively and you can peacefully enjoy the buildings under the shade of age-old trees. At the end of the square and the Post Office building, it goes along one of the alleys of the Tsar Simeon's Garden and from everywhere reveals interesting views of this part of the park. There is also the famous gazebo where Ivan Vazov spent long hours during his visit to Plovdiv in 1920. Unfortunately, it is in private property and access to it is restricted. A walk down the street will reveal the homes of Boris Hristov and many public figures, and how beautiful it is in the fall!
In your opinion, what is the most beautiful street in Plovdiv?
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