Citizens of the World: A Stoic Podcast for Curious Travelers · Communication & Mindset Coach Sarah Mikutel

Plovdiv, Bulgaria: Insider Travel Tips on What to See, Do, and Savor

·52 min·5 clips

In Plovdiv, a merchant's house features a rose oil fountain from the 19th century—you can still smell it today.

Host Sarah Megatel, an American in England, welcomes her friend Zlatina Ervanlieva, a Plovdiv native, world traveler, and tour guide, to share insider tips for visiting Bulgaria. This episode focuses on authentic, slow travel experiences in one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Zlatina explains that Plovdiv was a European Capital of Culture in 2019, which spurred a year of outdoor concerts and cultural activities. The city's Old Town is a UNESCO-listed heritage site featuring houses from Bulgaria's 19th-century National Revival period, like the Klianti merchant house with its painted walls of Constantinople and Vienna. A unique feature is a rose oil fountain inside a merchant's home, reflecting Bulgaria's status as a major producer of rose damascena oil for perfumes like Chanel and Dior. Visitors can buy a group ticket for about 15 leva (eight euros) to access five historic houses, each with a guide. The Roman Amphitheatre, built in the first century AD and still hosting summer performances for up to 7,000 people, offers remarkable acoustics and sunset views. A hidden gem is Alyosha Hill, the highest of Plovdiv's seven hills, which provides panoramic views and is ideal for sunset picnics. The city sits atop a largely buried Roman stadium that once seated 30,000 people, with parts visible under the main pedestrian street. Zlatina recommends the creative district called Kapana, or "The Trap," for its lively atmosphere, live music at venues like The Core, and a family-owned café called Dükjan that roasts its own coffee. For dining, she suggests the restaurant Smokini, which features a wine menu mapped to Bulgarian regions. Bulgaria's history includes Thracian, Roman, and Ottoman influences, with the latter lasting five centuries and leaving a legacy in architecture, cuisine, and coffee culture. The country is Europe's second-largest source of mineral springs after Iceland, with spa towns like Hisarya and Velingrad near Plovdiv. Day trips include the Bachkovo Monastery, the Rose Valley for folklore festivals and rose-picking in early June, and Veliko Tarnovo, an old capital with a castle and light shows. A recommended one-week itinerary covers Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, and the Black Sea coast city of Varna. Zlatina emphasizes traveling with an "open heart," noting that Bulgarian customer service can seem reserved due to cultural differences rooted in the socialist past. She advocates for connecting with local guides to discover hidden gems, like secret blue doors in Romania or a craft street in Plovdiv where visitors can learn bread-making and weaving. The conversation is conversational and educational, blending personal anecdotes with practical travel advice. This episode is ideal for culturally curious travelers interested in history, food, wine, and off-the-beaten-path experiences in the Balkans. Listeners seeking fast-paced party travel guides or those uninterested in historical depth might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A thoughtful Plovdiv primer that mixes practical detail with a reflective view of travel.

Plovdiv is presented as a place with practical appeal and a bit of texture. Sarah Megatel and Zlatina Ervanlieva move from the old town and its cobblestones to the Roman Amphitheater, then out toward wine, spas, festivals, and the city's creative life, so the city feels active…

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Press play if you want Plovdiv through a local's eyes.

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