Day Two: PLOVDIV, Bulgaria

Today we will continue our tour to another city called Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria and also so far is the oldest city in Europe, having been founded about 6000 BC. In 1 January 2019, Plovdiv hold the title of European Capital of Culture for one year so that the reason why I want to visit that city. Early in the morning around 9am, me and Caterine walk to the Central Market Hall as that the meeting point where the tour guide will wait and drive us to Plovdiv. When we arrived in Plovdiv, the guide put us together with the group of free walking tour. So basically we going to join the free walking tour group just like we did in Sofia. ( Link: https://freeplovdivtour.com/#1510303880899-ecd28b7a-294a )

The meeting point start at Central Fountain bear to the City Hall.

Milyo The Cray Sculpture, this sculpture was made in memoriam of Milyo the Crazy. He was described by people being a Plovdiv 's joker who was mentally unstable. People still remember him and they believe if you whisper your dreams and true desires by Milyo, they will become true.

The Roman Stadium in Plovdiv, is among the largest and best preserved buildings from the time of the Ancient Rome in the Balkan peninsula.

Perfect walking to walk around the old town in Plovdiv.

Kapana Creative District is a flagship project of Plovdiv 2019 and started while Plovdiv was preparing for the race to host the European Capital of Culture 2019 event, and has successfully continued as a highest-rank project in the programme of Plovdiv 2019.

Balabanov House is special and unique due to the development of the symmetrical Plovdiv house and is one of the most lavish examples of a house whose spatial composition is characterized by the equal role of two perpendicular axes, the one of the ground floor and the one of the 1st floor.

A very old and antique souvenirs shop near to Hisar Kapia.

Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum is a museum of ethnography. Located in the city's old town and since 1938 it has occupied the 1847 house of the merchant, Argir Kuyumdzhioglu. Now, the museum features six exhibitions, each occupying a separate room.

This is one of the hills in Plovdiv where the ancient town was founded. The earliest settlements on Nebet Tepe are dated back to 4000 BC and the site was first settled by Thracians, later expanded by Philip II of Macedon and the Roman empire.

From this hill Nebet Tepe, you can get the whole view of the Plovdiv city.

Our final and last stop in this free walking tour is Ancient Theater of Philippopolis. This theatre theatre is one of the world's best-preserved ancient theatres and was constructed in the 90s of the 1st century AD. Currently still in use and can host between 5000 and 7000 spectators.

After we end the Plovdiv free walking tours, we went to one of the fast food restaurant and grab our lunch and continue to the Rila monastery. It take about 3 hours drive from Plovdiv to Rila Monastery. I take a nap in that car because I still exhausted from the trip.

After spend 3 hours in the car, we reached Rila Monastery. Rila monastery located in Rila valley at the mountain and is the largest monastery in Bulgaria also one of the largest Orthodox monasteries in the world.

The inner yard and the residential part, beautifully decorated in white-black stripes and is home of the monks and priest living here.

Hrelyova Tower, the oldest survived building of the monastery.

The main church. Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria.

The view of the hill from the back of the monastery. After spend roughly 30 minutes in this monastery, then we back to Sofia.

Love,

Elene