Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis

The Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis

Carved into the slope between the historic hills at the heart of Plovdiv's Old Town, the Roman Theatre is one of the best-preserved monuments of its kind anywhere in the Roman world and, without question, the city's most spectacular sight. Ancient Plovdiv — known to the Romans as Trimontium and earlier as Philippopolis — was a major centre of the province of Thrace, and the theatre served as a venue for performances and public assemblies. It lay hidden for centuries and was only uncovered in the 20th century after a landslide, then painstakingly restored.

What to see

The cavea — the semicircular tiers of marble seating — descends toward the orchestra and stage, with room for several thousand spectators. Many rows still carry Greek inscriptions that once marked seats reserved for the city's different quarters. The stage front, with its columns and decorative fragments, is framed by the surrounding hills and, beyond them, the Rhodope Mountains — one of the most photographed views in Bulgaria. This is no static ruin: in the warmer months it still hosts concerts, opera and festivals, when its ancient acoustics come alive again.

Practical

The theatre sits within Plovdiv's Old Town, a cobbled maze of Bulgarian Revival houses, workshops and galleries that is easily explored on foot. It is loveliest in the early morning or toward sunset, when warm light washes the marble and the crowds thin. Nearby it pairs well with the Roman Stadium on the main pedestrian street, the old churches, and the cafés of the Kapana artists' quarter. Check the events calendar if you hope to catch a performance — an unforgettable experience in a two-thousand-year-old setting.