It’s always good to be informed when you travel abroad. For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of information you might find useful on your trip to Plovdiv.
On this page we’ll recommend the best places to eat out in Plovdiv, supermarkets, shopping centers, nightclubs, sports centers, the most entertaining establishments for adults and for children. This should also give you more practical information about the location of the city in relation to the most-visited parts of Bulgaria (other than Plovdiv itself), details about airports, the local currency, taxi companies and phone numbers, rent-a-car services in the area, power outlets, the time zone, the weather, tap water, smoking, area codes, emergency numbers and the phone numbers of every foreign embassy in Bulgaria. Finally, we have included a few tidbits that will help you interact with the people you’re going to meet here, such as a short list of Bulgarian words and phrases, our attitude towards haggling, tips, and kissing strangers, and a few head gestures that may not mean what they mean in other countries.
First a bit of trivia about Bulgaria as a whole: - Bulgaria is a member of the European Union (but does not use the Euro as its currency)
It is situated in Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan peninsula, and shares borders with Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey
It uses the metric system and Celsius degrees
The legal age of maturity is 18, and it applies to driving, drinking, smoking and voting
The Bulgarian language is written in the Cyrillic alphabet
The terrain is geographically diverse, with two enormous plains that take up a significant portion of its territory, numerous mountains, and the Black Sea to the East
Founded in 681, it is over 13 centuries old, but this land has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, and the ancient peoples who have lived here have left a significant legacy in the form of archeological finds, which, together with the historical sites of the established country of Bulgaria, form a unique heritage
Plovdiv is located in the southern half of Bulgaria. The fastest way to reach Plovdiv from the capital is via the Trakia motorway, an hour and 30 minute-long drive from Sofia (150 km). It is situated in the heart of the Upper Thracian plain, a mere 30 minutes away from the Rhodope mountains. The Trakia motorway leads straight to the seaside, and the drive is only 3 hours long.
Bulgaria has a total of 4 airports, located in or near 4 major cities. The largest airport in the country – Sofia Airport – is also the most widely used, works 24⁄7 and takes flights from a much higher number of countries than the rest, making it better suited for international flights.
Plovdiv Airport is 12 kilometers away from the city and works with the following airline companies:
Ryanair
S7 Airlines
Jet2
Arkia
Corendon
It occasionally accepts charter flights from:
Air Contractors
Bulgaria Air
Europe Airpost
Donavia
Kuban Airlines
Moskovia Airlines
RusLine
Yamal Airlines
You can check out the airport’s flight schedule on its website at: www.plovdivairport.com
While everything in the city Center is within walking distance, you might have to venture further for some of the sights, restaurants and stores, or if you just want to go exploring. The convenience of being able to hire transportation services at a moment’s notice is handy no matter what country you’re in.
Taxis in Bulgaria are easily recognizable by the yellow color of the car (only taxis are typically yellow around here), the black and white checkered stripe on its sides, and the lit up sign on its roof which says “Taxi” on it. Here are a few taxi companies we recommend if you ever need to get around Plovdiv on your own:
Eco taxi – 032/ 6155
Viailet taxi – 032/ 6160
Elma taxi – 032/ 6665
Leader taxi – 032/ 6143
Perfect taxi – 032/ 6112
Radio taxi – 032/ 6116
Taxis in Plovdiv are cheap. The standard taxi rates within the city are 0.65 BGN/km during the day (6 AM to 10 PM), and 0.75 BGN/km at night (10 PM to 6 AM). The initial fee before the taxi meter starts running is 0.90 BGN.
It is advisable to only use taxis you have called yourself, as the ones that wait at bus stops may be tourist traps. Taxis that aren’t covered in large company stickers are to be avoided.
Plovdiv, much like the rest of the country, is a very safe place, both at night and during the day. Low population often equals low crime rates, and Plovdiv – the second largest city in Bulgaria – has roughly 350,000 permanent residents. The two things you should be looking out for are illegitimate taxis, described above, and the two ghetto areas near the outskirts, but you’ll have no reason to visit either of them, as they don’t have any sights. Pickpocketing is a risk anywhere, but more so by the seaside than in Plovdiv.
The official language of Bulgaria is… well, Bulgarian. It’s a south Slavic language, and as such carries those bold sounds that best convey our enthusiastic friendliness. It is written in the Cyrillic script. In fact, it was invented here! The original Glagolic alphabet was created by the monks Cyril and Methodius, but it was their disciples of the Preslav Literary School who later simplified it to make it more suitable for daily use, and that is how the Cyrillic alphabet was born. It then spread to other Slavic nations such as Russia, Serbia and many others.
Here are a few essential words and phrases you may hear directed at you before the locals realize you are a foreigner and switch to English:
Da – means “Yes”
Ne – means “No”
Zdravey/Zdrasti – means “Hello” and is the standard casual greeting in Bulgaria
Molya – means both “Please” and “You’re welcome”
Blagodarya – means “Thank you”. The more casual option is the French “merci”
Ciao – a casual way of saying “See you later”. The Bulgarian word for it is “Dovizhdane”, if you’re feeling linguistically adventurous. It’s worth noting that “ciao” can’t be used as a greeting here
Kak se kazvash? – this phrase means “What is your name?”. This is how you make friends in Bulgaria
**Priyatno mi e. ** – “It is my pleasure (to meet you)”, or: what you say after you have made a new friend in Bulgaria*
Kazvam se [your name here]. – it is now your turn to tell your new Bulgarian friend what your name is. Use this phrase
Kolko struva? – “How much does it cost?”
Govorite li Angliiski? – “Do you speak English?” (Yes. Bulgarians under the age of 45 tend to speak at least some amount of English.)
*Bulgarians do not kiss each other as a greeting unless they are very close. Please don’t kiss your new friend. A handshake will do.
Tourists love this one – head gestures in Bulgaria are reversed. When Bulgarians nod their head, they mean “no”, and when they shake it side to side, it means “yes”. There is even a third motion – a side to side swaying that means “okay”. It gets better! Due to western influence, younger generations mix Bulgarian and western head gestures depending on what version they feel like using at the moment, which means that if someone in their twenties nods at you, it could mean either yes or no. It gets even better. Younger teenagers and children may only use the western head gestures. Basically, disregard all head gestures and listen to what people are saying, and if you need to ask someone to translate their head gestures into words, go ahead. Even we do it.
Bulgarians drink their coffee strong, but not excessively so. People used to more diluted coffee might get caught off guard the first time, but it’s an easy enough taste to acquire. Plovdiv has several establishments that offer genuine Italian espresso and cappuccino. We highly recommend the Dolce Fellini pastry shop, located opposite the Grand Hotel. The Djumaya pastry shop offers Turkish coffee for those who want to try it.
Bulgaria has a sort of café culture that is part of everyday life. Bulgarians often spend their free time at cafes with friends, focusing on enjoying the company in a nice place rather than the drink itself. Plovdiv’s Kapana district is perfect for this sort of outing, as its many cafes emphasize on the décor and atmosphere. Conversely, if you want to drink your coffee on the go, coffee vending machines are available all over the city, right there in the streets.
While it’s impossible to taste every dish available in a country, one must do their utmost and try, and the best part is – you don’t even have to fit that into a specific time frame of the day. Bulgarians don’t have a set time for breakfast, lunch and dinner and all local cafes and restaurants serve food at any hour. The one exception is the lunch menu – some restaurants have special daily lunch menus available around noon, freshly cooked and ready to serve with minimal waiting, and at a discount price at that.
Here are our favorite eating and drinking establishments in Plovdiv:
Happy – 13 Patriarch Evtimiy str., 11:00-23:30
Salt and Pepper – 1 Khan Kubrat str., 11:00-23:00
Gluharcheto – 15 Alexander Ekzarh str., 9:00-24:00
Marbella – 2 Yasna polyana str., 10:00-01:00
Pavazh – 7 Zlatarska str., 12:00-23:00, closed on Mondays
Torro Grande – 66 Kapitan Raicho str., 7:00-02:00
Ribarnika – 158 Tsar Simeon str., 9:30-4:00, closes at midnight on Sundays
Memory – 3 Unification Square, 11:00-2:00, closes at midnight on Sundays
Paldin – 3 Knyaz Tseretelev str., 11:00-21:00
Smokini – 40 Otets Paisii str., 11:00-00:00
Hemingway – 10 Gen. Gurko str., 10:00-00:00
Hebros – 51 Konstantin Velichkov str.
Sometimes you just want to take a break from all of your responsibilities as a tourist and eat something less thematic, but still delicious. Here are Plovdiv’s best restaurants for foreign cuisine:
Sombrero – 5 Dunav blvd., 10:00-23:00 – Mexican
Bellagio – 9 Emil Zola str., 11:30-23:00 – Armenian
India – 34 P. Karavelov str. , 11:30-22:30 from Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00-17:00 on Sundays – Indian
Osteria Rosmarino / Rosmary - 28А Peshtersko Shose blvd., 11:30-23:00 – Italian
La bella Napoli – 37A Sankt Peterburg str., 12:00–15:00, 18:00–23:00
Poco Loco – 17 Nikolay Haytov str., Monday to Saturday, 11:00-00:00 – Mexican/Italian
Le Petit Paris – 28 Mladezhka str., 9:00-00:00 – French
Jaegerhof – 4 Saedinenie str., 10:00-01:00 – German
Elea – 38 Sank Peterburg str., 10:00-01:00 – Greek
Mykonos – 1 6-ti Septemvri, 10:00-0:00 – Greek
Note di Vino Jazz & Wine – an Italian restaurant, winner of the 2016 “best classical restaurant in Bulgaria” award. Aside from the wonderful food and wine, stylish design and attentive staff, it is notable for its live jazz piano performances – 87 “Dimitar Talev” str., 11:00-02.00. The musical performance starts at 20:00.
Of course, no meal is complete without dessert, and few desserts can compete with the mighty cake. Here are a few cake shops we recommend you try during your stay:
Dolce Mela – 34 Preslav str., 8:00-20:00 (9:00-19:00 on Sundays)
Stenata – 7 Nikola Petkov str., 8:00-20:00 (10:00-20:00 on Saturday and Sunday)
Nedelya – 129 6-ti Septemvri blvd., 8:00-22:00
Torti Kolekcia – 113 Rodopi str., 8:00-21:00
Dolce Fellini – 6 Polkovnik Bonev str., 07:30-22:00 (08:30-22:00 on Saturday and Sunday) and in Mall Plovdiv
Charlotte – 8 Lyublyana str., Monday to Saturday, 8:30-18:30
Afreddo – 2 Gladstone str., 8:00-22:00
Raffy – 5 Patriarch Evtimiy str., 10:00-00:00
Dolce Mela - 34 Preslav str., 8:00-20:00 (9:00-20:00 on Saturdays, 9:00-19:00 on Sundays)
Dolce Fellini - 6 Polkovnik Bonev str., 07:30-22:00 (08:30-22:00 on Saturday and Sunday) and in Mall Plovdiv
Tipping is considered a nice gesture. If you’re happy with the service, a tip would be appreciated.
Most things in Bulgaria are paid in cash. While most large restaurants, retail stores and supermarkets work with credit and debit cards, medium to small establishments only take cash.
It is advisable to convert some amount of money to cover your basic daily needs. The official currency of Bulgaria is the Bulgarian lev, abbreviated as lv or BGN.
1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN 1 BGN = 0.511290758 EUR
You can convert foreign currency to BGN at every bank, but for the best rates we recommend the Tavex Gold and Exchange office on “Knyaz Alexander I” street, right next to the Ancient Stadium of Philippopolis.
Whether you want to take a few souvenirs home to remind you of your holiday, buy gifts for your friends, or simply buy clothes on the cheap, we’ve got everything you need:
Address: 29 “Perushtitsa”street, 4002, Western Industrial Zone, Plovdiv
Address: “Ruski” boulevard, 4002, Center, Plovdiv
Address: from “Alexander I Batenberg” to “Vasil Levski”
Address: “Ivan Vazov” street, 4000, Center, Plovdiv (perpendicular to the Main Street, starting from Central Square)
Address: “Otets Paisiy”street, 4000, Center, Plovdiv (runs parallel to the Main Street)
Address: “Stramna” street, 4000, Old Town, Plovdiv
Address: 8 “Rayko Daskalov” street, 4000, Kapana, Plovdiv
Address: 56 “Kapitan Raycho” street, 4000, Kamenitsa 1, Plovdiv
You may decide to stock up on some snacks, or try out some of that lyutenitsa your new Bulgarian friends keep telling you about. Here are a few chain stores where you can buy them:
2 “Macedonia”street
8 “Rayko Daskalov”street
221 “6-ti Septemvri” boulevard
132 “Dimitar Talev”street
124A “Vasil Aprilov” street
2 “Chereshovo Topche” street
19 “Maritsa” boulevard
78 “Peshtersko Shose” boulevard
56 “Kapitan Raycho” street
97B “Macedonia” street
36 “Peshtersko Shose” boulevard
94 “Tsarigradsko Shose” boulevard
47 “Osvobozhdenie” boulevard
1 “Shipka” street
14-B Trakia
5 “Lev Tolstoy” street
16 “Gerlovo” street
32 “Kapitan Raycho” street
33 “Iztochen” boulevard
97A “Macedonia” street
43 “Osvobozhdenie” boulevard
75 “Pobeda” street
115A “Bulgaria” boulevard
43 “Peshtersko Shose” boulevard
1 “Kostievska” street
Stores have set prices that are never up for negotiation. Food stalls don’t leave room for discounts, either. You might have better luck haggling with a street vendor, but no promises.
Plovdiv is situated in the warmer part of Bulgaria, but it still has 4 distinct seasons: hot summers (especially in late July, all of August and even a few days into September), cold winters (coldest in February), milder springs and autumns. It is advisable to look up the weather at your destination before travelling. Make sure to dress for the season!
When you’re not sightseeing, shopping or filling up your recipe book with ideas for your next cooking endeavor, you can try the rest of what Plovdiv has to offer in terms of entertainment. Here are a few ideas you might like that are available all year round:
Address: Sankt Peterburg boulevard, Lauta, 4000, Plovdiv
Address: Sankt Peterburg boulevard, Lauta, 4000, Plovdiv
Address: 2 “Zlatyu Boyadzhiev” street, Karshiaka, 4003, Plovdiv
Address: 3 “Feliks Kanits” street, Center, 4000, Plovdiv
Address: 6 “Lev Tolstoy” street, 4017, Plovdiv
Bulgaria’s no tropical island, but our summers still get pretty hot. What better way to cool down than by visiting some of our waterparks?
Address: 3 “Teofan Raynov” street, 4023, Trakia, Plovdiv
Address: 97 “Bulgaria” boulevard, 4003, Plovdiv
The most relaxing kind of recreation is also the healthiest – physical activity! If you really want to let loose on your trip without leaving the confines of the city, check out our suggestions below:
Address: 160 “6-ti Septemvri” boulevard, 4000, Kapana, Plovdiv
All bike rental bookings are made in advance on this number: +359884391411
Ramada Plovdiv Trimontium Hotel’s indoor and outdoor swimming pools – the ornamented interior surrounding the indoor pool only serves to enhance the already pleasant atmosphere. The outdoor pool is on a large terrace and offers a nice view of the city.
Grand Hotel’s Swimming Pool – a beautiful modern indoor swimming facility with two separate pools, for children and for adults, and a Jacuzzi.
The Rowing Canal – a popular venue for rowing competitions, the park surrounding the canal is made with athletes in mind, with a bike lane running parallel to the banks and a pedestrian lane adjacent to it. It is suitable for cyclists, joggers, rollerbladers, and people who like long walks along the beach, but are also okay with walks along the shore of an artificial lake. There is a modern outdoor fitness center adjacent to the entrance point of the canal, as well as a tennis court, a volleyball field and a football field.
Total Sport Fitness and Squash – one of the leading sports clubs in Bulgaria, Total Sport offer a modern facility with top-level gear, the services of professional fitness instructors, licensed masseurs, physical therapists and nutritionists, and a wide range of sports to choose from – squash, tae bo, spinning, yoga, pilates and latin dancing.
Sila Complex – an indoor swimming pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a SPA center, a well-equipped gym suitable for every type of workout, and classes in spinning, yoga, water gymnastics, pump training, tennis, aikido, zumba, kangoo jumps, and Bulgarian folk dancing. It has its own daycare facility.
Plovdiv’s club scene is as colorful and lively as the rest of the city. There’s a nightclub for every taste and fun to spare! Here are a few of Plovdiv’s best clubs:
Galaxy – the first establishment in Plovdiv that is entirely oriented towards live performances and concerts, and one of the most successful nightclubs in the country.
W – the only club in Plovdiv with an indoor pool, perfect for cooling down on a hot summer evening.
Petnoto na Rorshach – an English style bar and diner, people love it for its great music and great atmosphere.
Marmalad – Quiz Night on Wednesdays, Karaoke on Thursdays, Live Bulgarian music on Fridays, fun and excitement every day of the week.
No Sense – jazz, rock, dance, house and table football, this is one of the oldest bars in Plovdiv, beloved by several generations of Plovdiv natives and visitors.
Travelling accounts for a good 50% of the photos in most family albums, and with good reason – aside from being a great bonding experience, it’s just too fun not to share it with your loved ones. Taking children on a trip can be challenging, but rewarding – kids see the world with the kind of wonder adults have only the vaguest memory of, and taking them to faraway places opens their minds to the vast beauty life has to offer. Here are a few places you can take your tiny travelling companions:
The malls – every mall has a playcare corner.
Lauta Karting Track – children must be at least 140cm tall to ride. Additional safety measures are provided. There’s even a birthday package!
The Children’s Railway – a railroad track packed with fun little features such as a bridge, a tunnel and an ascending trestle. The train itself is brightly painted. The ride lasts 25-minutes and is well-loved by both the children and their parents.
In the unlikely event that you are in need of assistance from the local emergency services, the emergency number in Bulgaria is 112.
The country code of Bulgaria is +359. Landline phone numbers in Plovdiv begin with 032, or +35932. You do not need to dial the country or city code before the emergency number.
Bulgaria has right-hand traffic. The driver’s seat is on the left. If you wish to rent your own vehicle, please consult your home-country driver licensing and vehicle registration department as to whether your driving license is valid in Bulgaria, and whether you require additional permits and documentation.
The so called Blue Zone is a paid parking area in the streets of the Center of Plovdiv. All clients of Bulgarian mobile phone providers can send the number of the license plate of their car in message to the 1332 as an easy and convenient way to pay for the use of the Blue Zone. It must be sent immediately after parking the car. You should receive an automatic confirmation. It costs 1.50 BGN (0.761 EUR) per hour, in addition to the standard message price as per the mobile provider’s services. Once your time starts running out, you shall receive a reminder to either retrieve your car or send a second message with the license plate number.
Depending on the country you come from, you may need to use plug adapters to plug your appliances into Bulgarian power outlets – we use type C and type F plugs. Bulgarian power outlets work with appliances that run on 230 volts or are dual voltage. If your appliances don’t fit that description, you will need to use a power converter. Please look up whether your power plugs will work in Bulgaria prior to your trip.
There is only 1 time zone in Bulgaria – Eastern European Time, UTC+02:00. Don’t forget to set your clocks to local time when you land!
It is worth noting that in official settings, we use 24-hour time. If an establishment opens at 9 AM and closes at 9 PM, it will be written as:
9:00-21:00
Tap water is perfectly safe to drink, but while you’re here you have a chance to enjoy the many health benefits of mineral water, drawn from the numerous mineral water springs strewn across the country. Plovdiv in particular is surrounded by several mineral water resorts. All stores and restaurants sell bottled mineral water.
Smoking indoors is prohibited. Cafes and restaurants have designated smoking areas.
Our agency is here to help you out with anything you might need, but it’s a good idea to know how to contact your country’s embassy in Bulgaria. All of the embassies listed below are in the capital – Sofia – and as such their code is +3592.
Australia: +35929461334
Austria: +35929803572 / +35929329032
Azerbaijan: +35928170070 / +35928170074
Albania: +35929433857
Algeria: +35929802250 / +35929810296
Argentina: +35929712539 / +35929713791 / +35929733204
Armenia: +35929461274 / +35929461272 / +35929461273
Afghanistan: +35929625193 / +35929627476
Belarus: +35929733100 / +35929717131 / +35929719528
Belgium: +35929887290 / +35929887280
Bosnia and Herzegovina: +35929733775
Brazil: +35929719819 / +35929719821
Canada (Honorary Embassy): +35929699710
China: +35929733873 / +35929733851 / +35929712032
Croatia: +35929433225 / +35929433226 / +35929461677
Cyprus: +35929617730 / +35929617731
Czech Republic: +35929461111 / +35929461110
Cuba: +35928722014 / +35928719182 / +35928720996
Denmark: +35929170100
Egypt: +35929881509 / +35929870215
Estonia: +35929379900 / +35929379904
Finland: +35928102110
France: +35929651100
Georgia: +35928685404
Germany: +3592918380 / +35929634101
Greece: +35928433085 / +35928433086 / +35929461030
Hungary: +35929631135 / +35929631136/ +35929633143
India: +35929635675 / +35929635676 / +35929635677
Indonesia: +35929625240 / +35929626170
Iraq: +35929733348 / +35929733885
Iran: +35929814348 / +35929878546
Ireland: +35929853425
Israel: +35929515044 / +35929515046
Italy: +35929217300
Japan: +35929712708 / +35929713437
Kazakhstan: +35928624152 / +35928624155
Kuwait: +35929625130 / +35929625689
Lebanon: +35929712723 / +35929712734
Libya: +35929743556 / +35929743229
Macedonia: +35928705098 / +35928701560
Malta: +35928439861
Morocco: +35928651126 / +35928651137
Moldova: +35929356011 / +35929356015
Mongolia: +35928659012
Netherlands: +35928160300
Norway: +35929811106
Palestine: +35929634324 / +35929633123
Poland: +35929872610 / +35929872660 / +35929872670
Portugal: +35929216868 / +35929216869
Republic of South Africa: +35929395015
Romania: +35929712858 / +35929733081 / +35929712478
Russia: +35929630914 / +35929634021 / +35929631314
Serbia: +35929461633 / +35929461635 / +35929461636
Slovakia: +35929429210 / +35929429212
South Korea: +35929712181 / +35929712536
Spain: +35929433032 / +35929433620 / +35929461209 / +35929712001
Sudan: +35929712991
Switzerland: +35929420100
Sweden: +35929301960
Syria: +35929625742 / +35929624580
Turkey: +35929355500 / +35929871464 / +35929816165
Ukraine: +35928186828 / +35929554031 / +35928186827
UK: +35929339222
USA: +35929375100 / +35929375326 / +35929395735
Venezuela: +35929631637 / +35929631640
Vietnam: +35929632609 / +35929633742
Yemen: +35928704119 / +35929745546