Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, after Sofia, with a population of 341,873. It is the administrative centre of Plovdiv Region in southern Bulgaria, as well as the largest and most important city of the historical region of Upper (ot Northern) Thrace, famous for its ancient and diverse culture and millennial history.
Plovdiv is located on both banks of the Maritsa river in the central part of Upper Thrace. The surrounding countryside is mostly bare, lacking major construction or landmarks, yet the city itself is particularly striking, since it, like Rome, is nestled in between seven hills. Tourists, however, are likely to count only six of those, as one of hills was virtually destroyed at the beginning of the 1900s and there is only a small outcrop of rock left to show where it once stood.
Plovdiv is a tourist treasure trove. It has more than 200 known archeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. Some of the world-famous sites include the Ancient Theater (early 2nd century AD), the Roman Stadium (late 2nd century AD), the magnificent colored mosaics of the villas, the ones of the episcopal temple, the Nebet Tepe archaeological complex and the noted samples of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, such as the Balabanov House, the Kuyumdzhiev House, the Lamartine House, and the houses of Georgiadi, Nedkovich, and Hindian.
