Plovdiv

Plovdiv is Bulgaria's second-largest city by population, with around 350,000 residents, and the administrative center of Plovdiv Province. It is located in southern Bulgaria on the banks of the Maritsa River and sits on one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited sites, commonly described as a city on seven hills.

The city has ancient origins as a Thracian settlement and was later named Philippopolis under Macedonian and Roman rule. It remained an important urban center through the Byzantine and Bulgarian periods. remnants of antiquity are well preserved, including one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world, dating from the 2nd century CE and capable of seating about 7,000 spectators, and an adjacent Roman stadium.

The Old Town preserves Bulgarian National Revival architecture, with numerous wooden houses from the 18th–19th centuries and narrow cobbled streets. Plovdiv is a cultural hub, hosting the Plovdiv International Fair, one of the oldest trade fairs in the Balkans, and in 2019 served as a European Capital of Culture.

Today the city is a regional economic and educational center, with industries in services, technology, and manufacturing. It is also home to several higher education institutions, including Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv and Trakia University, contributing to a growing student population.