Traveling across our continent is a journey through time. From Roman theaters to Phoenician ports, some of Europe’s oldest cities prove that history and daily life can coexist in perfect harmony. Before the era of modern states, borders, or even writing, there were cities that, even today, remain inhabited.
1. Plovdiv (Bulgaria)
Most historians agree that the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv is the oldest in Europe, considering how long it has been inhabited since its founding. And about 8,000 years bear witness to this milestone of human civilization, eight millennia in which Greeks, Ottomans, Thracians and many other civilizations left their cultural imprint.
Perhaps it is the Roman footprint that this Bulgarian city showcases with the greatest pride. Dating from the 1st century are its spectacular Roman theater and the forum, the nerve center of the city. The stadium has also been preserved, built a century later and whose capacity even reached 30,000 people, making it one of the largest of its time. Next to it lies the Dzhumaya Mosque, dating from the 15th century, evidence of the Ottoman Empire’s presence in the city.
The historic center of Plovdiv awakens with that burst of color so characteristic of the Bulgarian Renaissance and that led UNESCO to include it in 2004 within the World Heritage. It is a city to enjoy the colorful houses-museums that take us to Kapana, the central neighborhood where crafts and commerce concentrate during the day and its lively nightlife of restaurants and clubs by night.
Where to stay: The Emporium Hotel Plovdiv – MGallery Collection, a former warehouse that today is a modern five-star hotel just a 13-minute walk from the Roman Theater.
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