Plovdiv

History and archaeology

Plovdiv Roman Forum

Plovdiv

The forum was built in the late first century as Philippopolis adopted Roman urban planning. Shops bordered three sides; the northern Odeon first housed the city council before becoming a theatre.

Nature and mountains

Raysko Praskalo Waterfall — Kalofer

Kalofer

The Praskalska River drops 124.5 metres over a vertical granite cliff. The waterfall lies in Dzhendema Reserve below Botev Peak, and its waters later help form the Byala River.

Museums and galleries

Regional Ethnographic Museum — Plovdiv

Plovdiv

The Kuyumdzhioglu house holds collections covering farming, crafts, clothing, domestic interiors and music. The museum's beginnings are linked to researcher Stoyu Shishkov, who gathered material on life across the Plovdiv region.

Museums and galleries

Regional History Museum — Plovdiv

Plovdiv

The Revival exhibition occupies Dimitar Georgiadi’s house. The former Regional Assembly presents the 1885 Unification, while Hristo G. Danov’s home explores the development of publishing in Plovdiv and its region.

Nature and mountains

Rhodope Mountains (region)

Rodopi

The Western Rhodopes are higher and rich in gorges and caves, while the eastern ranges have lower relief. River valleys bring Mediterranean influence, helping explain the mountain’s varied vegetation and contrasting natural landscapes.

Architecture and settlements

Roman Stadium — Plovdiv

Plovdiv

Built under Emperor Hadrian in the early second century, Philippopolis’s stadium occupied the northern part of the fortified city. Its site followed the natural depression between Taksim Tepe and Sahat Tepe.

Nature and mountains

Rose Valley (region)

Dolina na rozite

Kazanlak’s Rose Museum began in 1967 as a small exhibition devoted to rose picking in the town and surrounding area. In 1969 it became an independent museum documenting the oil-bearing rose’s cultural importance.

History and archaeology

Small Early Christian Basilica — Plovdiv

Plovdiv

The three-aisled basilica dates from the later fifth–sixth centuries. Its rich multicoloured floor mosaics are associated with the Philippopolis school; a baptistery adjoins the north side and a chapel the south.

History and archaeology

Starosel Thracian Tomb — Starosel

Starosel

Discovered in 2000, the Chetinyova Mound complex includes stairways, a corridor and rectangular and circular chambers. Iron clamps join its carefully worked stone blocks, while wolf-tooth ornament decorates the sanctuary’s entrance.

Museums and galleries

Vasil Levski National Museum — Karlovo

Karlovo

Exhibit from Vasil Levski National Museum — Karlovo

Documents, family belongings and artworks trace Levski's work and his companions. The memorial chapel preserves a lock of his hair, linking personal biography with remembrance of Bulgaria's national liberation movement.