OLDER THAN ROME? UNSKIPPABLE CITY IN EUROPE 😱🤯😳

hello zesties 🍋

jaykay, its not older than rome, but its one of the oldest cities in europe with a LOT of roman influence hence the manymany roman ruins scattered around 🏛️! this is PLOVDIV, in BULGARIA 🇧🇬 especially if you’re a history buff, you HAVE to visit this place that’s from the BCs! for more guides/tips/reviews on other countries, check out #sarahineurope for more!

i went to plovdiv from sofia, the capital of bulgaria, for a day trip 🛣️ there’s a museum pass that you can purchase that lets you enter 5 attractions for cheap, including the famous Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis! the olden day houses 🏘️ are also well preserved, i’d recommend going into 1-2 to see inside as well!

a short history lesson on this city (feel free to skip this para): plovdiv has a history that spans from the Neolithic Age to the present. originally a Thracian settlement called Eumolpias, it was renamed Philippopolis by Philip II of Macedon in 342 BC. later reclaimed by the Thracians, it became Pulpudeva before the Romans took over in 72 BC, renaming it Trimontium. under Roman rule, Plovdiv thrived as a major crossroads and cultural hub, featuring impressive public buildings, baths, and advanced infrastructure.

now going onto my reviews/itinerary here if i’ve successfully convinced you to put this on your travel bucketlist:

𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦!

Tsar Simeon Park

🌳 quite a big park w a big fountain & lots of flowers which i absolutely loveee

🌳 locals congregate here to sit by the fountains and the gardens and have their picnics and stuff its super vibess

🌳 v nice to just walk thru, esp when weather is good cos it was burninggg when i was thr

Roman Forum of Philippopolis

🏛️ plovdiv is fulllll of roman ruins its like a mini less well known rome! has a lot of history cos a lot of diff people hv been living there since loooong ago, so roman forum is js one of the ruins! can walk down the stairs through it & see it close up for free

🏛️ got 2 sides unjoined so can walk frm 1 site to the other!

Stefan Stambolov Square

✨ another square w a cute fountain surrounded by lots of shops (& w benches nearby so u can literally sit and watch the fountain 😭 or sit at the fountain & people watch😭)

✨ near a really bustling street/area!

Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis

⚡️ another roman ruin!!!

⚡️ super cool that u can j go there, climb n sit on the benches from long ago

⚡️ smaller one, the more well known one is the theatre

Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis

🔥 roman ruin! an ancient theatre, damn huge it reminds me of the colosseum on a smaller scale

🔥 they actl use this venue for concerts sometimes & it sounds really cool but i didnt go cos i was only here for a daytrip

🔥 need to pay to go in! but tbh u cn j stand outside and take a pic of it or 0.5 w it which is what i did… refused to pay to j go n walkwalk some ancient steps when i cld j see it right infront of me

Klianti House

🪵 supercool wooden house! very well preserved w cool ass gold detailed furniture

🪵 some entrances & rooms are a lil short so u rly need to stoop down (i had to and im HELLA short)

🪵 thrs a special pass tht u can buy for less and get access to 5 houses if uw but i didnt cos that day q a few houses & museums were closed (but i bought indiv houses at like €2/hse which was rly cheap)

Nedkovich House

🏠 supercute yellow house! outside has a nice little courtyard with a garden and some chairs and a table!

🏠 inside also supergrand and i fw grand stuff so i really liked it! inside also was a lil bit bigger than Klianti House

Hisar Kapia Gate

🚪 medieval gate!

🚪 its beside crafters street so theres a lot of stalls selling handmade stuff and art&craft on the right side of the gate

Church of St Constantine and Helena

⛪️ built in 337! really cool

⛪️ interior very gold, reminds me of rila monastery interior

Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum

📜 separate from the house passes, but entry is really cheap for a student still!

📜 interesting to learn about the history & see the stuff they used to produce/use/wear!

📜 i was more interested in the market outside where they were selling handmade goods & lots of cool unique stuff! not sure if its temporary or not

Eastern gate of Philippopolis

🏷️ some more roman ruins of a gate

🏷️ but then the whole site is under construction w opaque barriers & when i went one side the barriers werent opaque so i could still see thru, i just couldnt go in

🏷️ abit far from old town, its on the edge so need to walk abit out

Kapana District

🎈 kinda loved the vibes here!! cos issa really artsy colourful little area

🎈 alot of rly cute murals, and little shops selling handmade stuff

🎈 alot of cafes here! can eat here!

𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗗!

Pavaj

🧆 traditional bulgarian food for cheap! i loved the taste of it!

🧆 i had meatballs which were p cheap, then a drink & a cake that was sooo good & i j sat at the open area to enjoy myself, it was amazing

hope i’ve successfully convinced you to venture out of western europe and into unknown but LOVELY territories! have a good time there 🫶🏻

#travel #hiddengem #europe #travelrecommendations