Philippopolis Meets Plovdiv
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
September 23, 2008
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
September 23, 2008
Pleasant Plovdiv was my last stop in Bulgaria before I boarded the overnight train to Istanbul.
The Thracians called it Eumolpias; the Greeks preferred Philippoupolis; the Romans dubbed it Trimontium; the Turks went with Filibe; and finally the Bulgarians came up with Plovdiv. I’m sure with the right turn of the tongue Plovdiv really is the more eloquent of the choices.
Architecturally Plovdiv reflects as many styles as it has names. A Roman ampitheatre is a short walk from an Ottoman mosque which is steps away from a Byzantine church. The star attraction is a well-preserved old town full of Bulgarian Renassance homes encircled in the medieval town walls. The more modern downtown is full of parks, sculpture and a sociable town square with outdoor cafes. All in all I found it a very pleasant place to spend my last few days in Europe.
