spaswinefood: Plovdiv, the heart of Bulgaria's Thracian Lowlands

Plovdiv is in the heart of the Thracian Lowlands, one of the top up and coming wine regions in Bulgaria. Base yourself in Plovdiv for your Thracian Lowlands explorations. Delight in discovering why Plovdiv is so very special.

Roman Amphitheater, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria, has been called the City of Seven Hills because it was built on seven hills around the Marista River. The Marista River, the largest river in Bulgaria, divides the city into two parts, north and south. While in Plovdiv Spaswinefood enjoyed exploring the lovely Old City.

Old Town of Plovdiv
Built on three hills (Nehet Tepe, Dzhambaz Tepe, and Taksim Tepe) Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is quite special. Founded around the beginning of 6th century BC Plovdiv is considered to be one of the oldest cities in Europe and the world. Old Town's architectural and historical significance dates from prehistory to today, covering Antiquity, Middle Ages and Bulgarian Revival periods.

Main Pedestrian Street, Old Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Main Street, Old Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Recently I explored Old Plovdiv with #winelover friends. We started our explorations on the main pedestrian street.

Cafes along Main Street © Spaswinefood

Later we checked out some of the side streets.

Old City, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

There is so much to see and do in the Old City.

Street Art, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

I could not help but feel inspired by the art and architecture that I viewed on our walk through Old Plovdiv.

Art through the Leaves, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

I so loved the color and vibrancy I saw everywhere.

Cafe Life, Old Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Cafe, Old Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

This vibrant area has many cafe and restaurant options. We ate lunch at the Tarte Flambee D'Alsace Restaurant.

Tarte Flambee D'Alsace, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Vins D'Alsace, Tarte Flambee D'Alsace © Spaswinefood

We decided on ordering tarte flambée of course, meat and vegetarian style.

Tarte Flambée © Spaswinefood

Veggie Tarte Flambée © Spaswinefood

The restaurant offers Alsace wines and others.

Wine and Flowers © Spaswinefood

Lunch with #winelover friends and new Bulgarian friends was such a treat.

#Winelovers, Tarte Flambee D'Alsace © Spaswinefood

Bulgarian Friends, Tarte Flambee D'Alsace © Spaswinefood

It is always fun to have lunch with friends.

After lunch we explored the Kapana District, at the northwest edge. That's an area where you will find narrow cobbled streets filled with interesting shops and cafes. Here you will often find colorful flags along the streets. Kapana is affectionately known as The Trap. Given there are some many fun things to do here you may never want to leave, and hence it has been called The Trap.

Kapana District, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Kapana, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Exploring Old Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

Do not forget to checkout museums, and art galleries along the way. You will also find Roman ruins scattered throughout Old Plovdiv.

Roman Ruins, Plovdiv © Spaswinefood

The Roman Amphitheater is perhaps the most spectacular site to visit.

Checking out the Roman Amphitheater © Spaswinefood

The remains of the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis (2nd Century AD) is located under the main pedestrian street. Along the main route some parts of the stadium are marked. There are also underground viewing points.

Part of the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis © Spaswinefood

In a few locations there are underground walkways where you can get a closer look at Plovdiv's ancient history.

Old Plovdiv Underground © Spaswinefood

While exploring the Old City we made stops at a number of churches and a mosque along our route. Mevlei Hane, a Dervish Monastery, is believed that it was abandoned around the end of the 19th century, with the Dervish order dissolving in the 20th century.

One of the churches we visited was the Church of the Holy Mother of God, a Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

My time in Plovdiv with #winelover friends offered a number of options for checking out Bulgarian and other wines, such as Hebros House.

Walking back along the main pedestrian street I could not help but notice the well preserved architecture of Old Plovdiv.

While walking through an underground walkway a golden lion, on a white, green and red background (the colors of the Bulgarian flag) caught my attention. The coat of arms of Bulgaria has a golden lion at the center.

Some other sources you might want to explore include a Wine Enthusiast article on the Thracian Lowlands. While Plovdiv is the perfect jumping off point to explore wine country the downside is you may never want to leave it. If you want to explore the Thracian Lowlands wine country then Bulgarian Wine Tours is a great option. Do not forget to see for yourself why this region, home to ancient Thracian winemakers, was named one of the top wine destinations in 2017.

Proudly displayed in the Old City is Together Plovdiv2019, which is focused on the promoting Plovdiv as the European Capital of Culture. It is a great place for enotourists to begin their explorations of the rebirth of wine making in Bulgaria.

Plovdiv, City of Seven Hills, is amazing city to explore. Its art galleries, museums, Roman ruins, the Old Town of Plovdiv, along with it being an affordable tourist destination makes it attractive to visitors. It was in Plovdiv at the Digital Wine Communications Conference in 2015 that I was first introduced to Bulgarian wines. That first visit was the beginning of Spaswinefood's exploration of Bulgaria’s wine routes. I am looking forward to continuing my wine country explorations in Bulgaria's Thracian Lowlands. I invite you to join me in my travels in Bulgaria and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.

Sharon

June 2017

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

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Note: Special thanks to the Bulgarian Wine Export Association (BWEA) who was our host for this trip.

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Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Plovdiv, the heart of Bulgaria's Thracian Lowlands

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