The rich cultural and historic heritage coexists in harmony with the contemporary culture of Plovdiv. A walk around the Three Hills is like travelling in time - from the Old Age until modern times. At the archaeological complex "Nebet Tepe" remains of a prehistoric settlement lie next to ruins of Roman and Hellenic fortresses. Best preserved is Hissar Kapiya, the gateway of the fortress, which was built during the reign of the Roman emperors Trajanus and Marcus Aurelius. The Ancient Theatre, the most impressive edifice of Roman time, was excavated during reinforcement works at the southern fortress wall. It offered almost 7 000 seats once. Nowadays it is used for staging opera and theatre festivals, concerts, municipal celebrations, etc. The present-day downtown section of Plovdiv lies on the ruins of an enormous Roman Stadium, which had a length of 180 m and was intended for 30 000 spectators. The contests held here were similar to the Greek Olympic Games and dated back to the

The rich cultural and historic heritage coexists in harmony with the contemporary culture of Plovdiv. A walk around the Three Hills is like travelling in time - from the Old Age until modern times. At the archaeological complex "Nebet Tepe" remains of a prehistoric settlement lie next to ruins of Roman and Hellenic fortresses. Best preserved is Hissar Kapiya, the gateway of the fortress, which was built during the reign of the Roman emperors Trajanus and Marcus Aurelius. The Ancient Theatre, the most impressive edifice of Roman time, was excavated during reinforcement works at the southern fortress wall. It offered almost 7 000 seats once. Nowadays it is used for staging opera and theatre festivals, concerts, municipal celebrations, etc. The present-day downtown section of Plovdiv lies on the ruins of an enormous Roman Stadium, which had a length of 180 m and was intended for 30 000 spectators. The contests held here were similar to the Greek Olympic Games and dated back to the rule of Emperor Septimus Severus (193 - 211 AD). An Ancient Forum was found next to today's Trimontium Hotel. Clearly visible here is the difference in the building structure of the Thracian agora made of sandstone and the Roman marble ruins. Magnificent Roman colour mosaics are also found in Plovdiv. A large medieval water tank, dated back to the period of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, can be seen at Nebet Tepe. Marble friezes, pottery and other relics provide evidence of the Bulgarian influence in the city during the Middle Ages. Djumaya Mosque and Imaret Mosque rank among the major architectural monuments from the period of the Ottoman Empire. The oldest churches in Plovdiv are "St. Constantine and Elena", "St. Marina", "St. Petka", "St. Nedelia", "The Holy Virgin". All of them are architectural monuments of great value possessing precious iconostases, icons, frescoes, books, etc. The beautiful houses in Old Plovdiv are dated back to the period of the Bulgarian National Revival. Many of them have been proclaimed for cultural monuments revealing the genius of the Bulgarian builders. All sightseeing tours include the architectural and historical reserve Old Plovdiv. The millennial history of Plovdiv is reflected here with all its cultural diversity. The Three Hills, on which Old Plovdiv was built, are named Nebet Tepe, Djambaz Tepe and Taxim Tepe. Another hill, Sahat Tepe, is situated south-westwards of the Three Hills and is famous for its clock tower. The fifth hill is called Bounardjik and a huge statue of Heracles was raising at its top once. The highest hill in Plovdiv (283 m) is called Djendem Tepe. In ancient times, a sanctuary of Apollo was located there and later a temple dedicated to Apollo was erected. The lowest of all hills - Markovo Tepe, is almost razed to the ground. A favourite recreation spot for Plovdiv citizens is the City Garden designed by the court gardener of Napoleon III. The Rowing Canal, a modern complex, where national and international sporting events and contests take place, is a preferred place for sports activities and strolls in the open air.

Plovdiv (Bulgarian: ПлПвЎОв) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with a population of 380,312.[1] Known in ancient times as Philippoupolis, it is the administrative center of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria and three municipalities (Plovdiv, Maritsa and Rodopi) and Bulgaria\'s Yuzhen tsentralen planning region (NUTS II), as well as the largest and most important city in Northern Thrace and the wider international historical region of Thrace. The city is an important economic, transport, cultural and educational center.[2] One of Europe\'s oldest cities, it was originally a Thracian settlement before becoming a major Roman city in Antiquity. In the Middle Ages, it retained its strategic regional importance, changing hands between the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires. It came under Ottoman rule in the 14th century. In 1878, Plovdiv was made the capital of the autonomous Ottoman region of Eastern Rumelia; in 1885, it became part of Bulgaria with the unification

Plovdiv (Bulgarian: ПлПвЎОв) is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, with a population of 380,312.[1] Known in ancient times as Philippoupolis, it is the administrative center of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria and three municipalities (Plovdiv, Maritsa and Rodopi) and Bulgaria\'s Yuzhen tsentralen planning region (NUTS II), as well as the largest and most important city in Northern Thrace and the wider international historical region of Thrace. The city is an important economic, transport, cultural and educational center.[2] One of Europe\'s oldest cities, it was originally a Thracian settlement before becoming a major Roman city in Antiquity. In the Middle Ages, it retained its strategic regional importance, changing hands between the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires. It came under Ottoman rule in the 14th century. In 1878, Plovdiv was made the capital of the autonomous Ottoman region of Eastern Rumelia; in 1885, it became part of Bulgaria with the unification of that region and the Principality of Bulgaria. Plovdiv is situated in the southern part of the Plovdiv Plain on the two banks of the Maritsa River. The city has historically developed on seven syenite hills, some of which are 250 m high. Because of these seven hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as \'The City of the Seven Hills\'. Plovdiv is host to economic and cultural events such as the International Fair Plovdiv, the international theatrical festival \'A scene on a crossroad\', the TV festival \'The golden chest\'. There are many remains preserved from Antiquity such as the Ancient amphitheatre, Roman odeon, Roman Stadium, the archaeological complex Eirene and others.