April 30, 2015

Two Tours a Day During the Summer!

Beginning on the 1st of May all through September you're going to see twice as much of us as you have before. That's right, during the summer months, for the first time in Free Plovdiv Tour's history, we'll be serving up two tours a day. The starting times are 11 AM and 6 PM. The starting place, as before, is in front of the City Hall (Municipality building). So whether you are staying in Plovdiv for the night or leaving during the day, now you'll have a better opportunity to join one of our tours and get a guided introduction to the city. See you there!  
April 23, 2015

Handmade craft culture

Interested in traditional craft and arts in Bulgaria? From the 23rd to the 26th of April the Spring Craft Fair will transform Plovdiv, and more precisely Rajcho Daskalov Str., known as the former Uzun Charshi. Source: grabo.bg With more than 80 craftsmen presenting woodworks, pottery, jewellery, furriery and many other unique and rare crafts. What is more, there will be a bread making workshop where the Bakers Guild will prepare delicious dough masterpiece right in front of you. Source: europlovdiv.com The festival features not only Bulgarian masters but also a few guests from the neighboring Balkan states. All of the participants will be dressed accordingly with folklore garments. source: Дина Карагяурова Last but not least, the children from Olga Skobeleva Social care Home will also take part in the festival with their ceramic pieces of art.
April 14, 2015

In vino veritas!

During the festival Wine and Gourmet in the Old Town („Вино и гурме в стария град Пловдив”) on the 9th and 10th of May Plovdiv’s guests can enjoy a truly bohemian experience – a two-day program of culture events finely enriched with delicious dishes and excellent Bulgarian wines. Source   The grand opening will be on the 8th of May at 18:00 at the Roman stadium, where centuries ago emperors have celebrated spring, life and wine. Then, on the next day a symbolical opening of the spring wine season will be made in the Lapidarium (one of the stops in our tour) at 12:00. This will be the starting point of your degustation adventure lead by the honorable members of “The European Order of the Wine Knights”. Source   The icing on the cake will be the folklore dance and music performances by Ensemble Trakia and other artists making the celebrations a real feast for all the senses. Source A glimpse of the map is enough to conclude there will […]
April 9, 2015

Who let the dogs out, aka hitting the clubs in Plovdiv – Part II

You can find “Who let the dogs out, aka hitting the clubs in Plovdiv” – Part I here. In the previous post we mentioned a few of the new and old gems of the Plovdiv club scene. We are going to pick up from where we stopped and offer you a few more options to explore while you are in Europe’s oldest living city (which has stayed that way because of its party people). Hitting the clubs in Plovdiv: Vintage House Location: 15 Gladstone st. You think your Bulgarian is good enough – try going to the local theatre. And if that’s not exactly your cup of tea, try a glass of whiskey instead in Plovdiv’s newest bar, which just happens to be inside the building of the theatre. Who knows, after a shot or two, you might feel ready to take over the floor and put up a show. HItting the clubs in Plovdiv: Kotka i Mishka – Cat and Mouse Location: 14 Hristo Dyukmedzhiev st. We are happy […]
April 3, 2015

Who let the dogs out, aka hitting the clubs in Plovdiv – Part I

Over the past few years we have witnessed a rapid uprise of Plovdiv’s cultural life and the clubs have been on top of that tide. Considered to be alternative at first, they have now become the norm as more and more people get mesmerized by their charm and comfort. These are just a few that are a must if you want to see how the Plovdiv people take the pressure off. Clubs in Plovdiv: BASQUIAT Wine & Art Location: Bratya Pulievi st. The newest addition to one of Plovdiv’s most landmark neighbourhoods – the Trap, this bar quickly gained momentum as it harnessed people’s love for wine, cosiness and art. It’s a bar in the night and a comfortable café during the day. And to add to its awesomeness, Basquiat hosts comedy plays, lectures and small gigs, which is a combination not seen before in a Plovdiv bar. Clubs in Plovdiv: Rorschach’s inkblot – Petnoto Location: 36 Yoakim Gruev st. This club started out as a very unpretentious place for […]
March 29, 2015

Free Plovdiv Tour, майна

Вчера, 28 март 2015 г., се проведе първата по рода си беседа между Free Plovdiv Tour и пловдивчани. Домакин беше гостоприемното Hackafe, а водещи бяха двама от нашите гидове – Деси и Иван. Събитието имаше за цел да представи Free Plovdiv Tour пред хората от нашия град – защо, как и кога се правят безплатните туристически обиколки и в каква степен те подпомагат развитието на Пловдив като туристическа дестинация. Иван и Деси разказаха за чуждестранните ни посетители, за това какво е да видиш града си през очите на онези, които го виждат за първи път, както и куп интересни истории от обиколките. Благодарим на всички присъстващи и се надяваме се да се видим на някоя от нашите обиколки.
March 22, 2015

Encountering a wedding ceremony during the tour

The wedding ceremony The wedding is not only an institutional union between two people, but also building a relationship between a woman and a man in love with each other. In Bulgaria the traditional wedding continues up to a whole day. (What an exhausting event!) The wedding begins with ‘taking’ the bride from her home. This moment is usually connected with the custom of ‘looking for’ the bride’s shoe. When the groom finally manages to find it, he is made to put some money (not coins, of course) in order to make the shoe the right size for his beloved. The ‘visit’ at the girl’s house ends up with a traditional Bulgarian dance – horo. Horo is a common dance It is widely spread on the Balkans, in which people arrange either in a line, or in a circle. The next destinations are the ritual home and the church. In our country the civil marriage is the only legitimate form in the Bulgarian Family Law. In order to be legal, […]
March 13, 2015

Summer is coming

Plovdiv has seen an increasing influx of people in the past one or two years and this is due mainly to its recent inauguration as European Capital of Culture 2019 and, of course, the tremendous efforts to popularize it as a tourist destination. It’s only logical then that Free Plovdiv Tour is to upgrade to not one but TWO tours per day and thus meet the high demand of knowledge-seeking and culture-hungry tourists from all over the world. As of May we are to have tours starting at 11 and 18 o’clock in front of the Town Hall (Municipality building). For this reason, we want to invite you to become part of a vigorous team and to join forces into boosting Plovdiv’s glory as a historical masterpiece in the heart of the Balkans. You’re also deeply encouraged to spread the word to whomever you think might like the idea of becoming a Free Plovdiv Tour “foot soldier”.
February 24, 2015

Plovdiv is turning into a cultural hotspot

You might have heard that in 2019 Plovdiv will be the European capital of culture along with the Italian town of Matera. To pave the road, though, Plovdiv is preparing by increasing its cultural events year by year. These are just a few of what lies ahead in 2015. ONE Foundation is to host three major festivals this year. ONE DESIGN WEEK will be held 19-28 June and will focus on the works of Bulgarian and foreign artists, in which digital technology will be the main highlight.   Source   ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK will take place from 18 to 27 September and this year’s topic will be the Integration of the River (the Maritza river that runs through the city). The festival will try to make communities around the river and make it a cultural and sociable spot and not just a border within the city. ONE DANCE WEEK from 23 October to 1st November and will showcase the most progressive choreographies of the foreign and Bulgarian dance scene.   […]