Old Plovdiv

"This is the greatest and loveliest of all cities! It's beauty is radiant from afair. And a very large river, the Hebros, flows the base of the hills." That was how Lucian described Plovdiv in the 2nd Century AD.

Although its exact age is unknown, the city is known to be one of the oldest in Europe; it was a contemporary of Troy, and is more ancient than Rome, Athens or Constantinople. The facts are indisputable: in 1975 archeologists discovered the remains of a temple dating from the period of the Aegean Civilisation.

Today, Plovdiv lies at the intersection of various civilisations, epochs, and religions. There are remains from antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Revival Period, all coexisting along with modern architecture in a charming amalgam. The city's most impressive structure is its 7,000-seat amphiteatre dating from Roman times, which has remained surprisingly intact over the years.