Plovdiv - Bulgaria
Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, best known after the largest fairgrounds in the Balkans, Plovdiv Fair, which hosts many important yearly events such as International Technical Fair, International Consumer Goods and Technologies Fair and specialised exhibitions AGRA, VINARIA, MEDICUS, DENTO, GALENIA, PrintCom and Foodtech. So if Plovdiv is famous as a commercial centre, why would it be attractive for tourists? Plovdiv is set on the banks of Maritsa River, strategically located at the crossroads of two important traffic corridors. Many nations passed Plovdiv throughout its history: Romans (they founded Trimontium), Turks and of course Bulgarians, and each of them left remarkable traces that can still be admired today. Plovdiv's main sights include a very well preserved Roman theatre from the 2nd century, large enough to accommodate 3000 people. It is still used during Plovdiv's festivals. And then there is so called Old Town, a part of the town built at the site of the ancient Trimontium, characterised by beautifully preserved Bulgarian houses from the 19th century. We visited Plovdiv on a day trip from Sofia. It isn't too far; a train journey takes about 2 hours. We were unlucky with the weather. It was rather gloomy, with an occasional raindrop splashing on us from dark, heavy clouds. But we still enjoyed Plovdiv very much, the stroll around the Old Town being one of the highlights. The houses in Old Town were inspired by the baroque, but their core features remain distinctively Bulgarian. Some of them are transformed into museums, galleries and workshops. One of the most beautiful houses in the Old Town is The Ethnographic Museum. It is a fine example of the Bulgarian Baroque architecture of the National Revival Period. It was built in 1847. The principal facade of the house faces west, giving onto a spacious and well-kept garden. We were lucky to stumble upon a group of Bulgarian ladies in traditional Bulgarian costumes, and got a glimpse of a flamboyant cultural performance, its centre point being Bulgarian masks belted with cowbells storming through the courtyard. Djumaya (Friday) Mosque Is an active Muslim temple, known also as Ulu ("main") Djumaya Mosque. As legend goes, the last name is dated back to the time when the Ottomans conquered Plovdiv in 1371. The Muslim temple was built in the place of an Orthodox cathedral from the 13th c., dedicated to Saint Petka ( Paraskeva). Djumaya Mosque is the second biggest Muslim building within the boundaries of today's Bulgaria, having build-up area of about 1500 sq.m. The Plovdiv Clock-tower A The PlovdivA Clock-tower is situated on the Sahatteppe. It is considered that this is one of the oldest clock-towers not only in Bulgaria but also in the whole Europe. Its construction is dated back to the 16th c. In the beginning of the 19th c this remarkable monument broke down. In 1812 the town public undertook the restoration of the tower. Ancient-revival ensemble around Hissarkapiya The architecture of the Ancient Plovdiv represents a top manifestation of anotherA outstanding period of Bulgarian history the National Revival (18th-19th c.). There is homogeneous architectural ensemble, where the structures from the epoch of National Revival connect all historical layers, a rare combination of national traditional architecture and older historical layers, forming a homogeneous ensemble. BalabanovA House HadjiA Panayout Lampsha a rich merchant and moneylender, built house of the beginning of the 17th century. It is of imposing size built on an area of 546 sq.m. and with a capacity of 4723 cubic meters. Its last owner the merchant Louka Balabanov, whose name it bears to this day. Today a permanent exhibition of modern paining is displayed on the first floor of the house. On the second floor, once used to receive guests and even, today furnished in the typical town style of the National Revival Period. Olympic rowing canal Length 2320m, width 135m, normal depth 2,5 m. It is a thoroughly artificial canal. The canal was inaugurated in 1989 for the World Youth Championship in canoe-kayak.One of the best rowing canals internationally: covers all possible distances. www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5HLqHOUHmI
