December 24, 2013

Koleduvane: Have a very Bulgarian Christmas!

Christmas is a favourite holiday of young and old. There is a tradition that makes the Bulgarian Christmas even more special. Koleda or Rozhdestvo Hristovo is thе time of the year on which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is one of the brightest and most awaited holidays in the Bulgarian calendar, celebrated with century – old traditions. Although many of the Christmas rituals have been forgotten by the contemporary Bulgarian, one has been preserved – the tradition to celebrate with the family. At Christmas every Bulgarian family gathers to spend a holy, but not a very silent night! The atmosphere is cheerful, the food is delicious, the spirits are high. Being with loved ones is the most important component of the Bulgarian Christmas! Bulgarians are Eastern Orthodox, and Christmas celebrations start at 20th December, the day on which St. Ignatius of Antioch is honored (Ignazhden). Ignazhden begins the preparation for one of the most important rituals in the Christmas night – Koleduvane.  Koleduvane As Christmas Eve comes […]
December 8, 2013

10 must-visit places in Plovdiv; Part 1

Welcome to Plovdiv! Here we’ll post some of the most intriguing and famous places in the city. The fact that Plovdiv is not a large city is very convenient in terms of visiting numerous sites in a relatively short period of time. The thing is that the city is one of the oldest ones in Europe – founded approximately 6000 BC by ancestors of the Thracians. Plovdiv is full of history and amazing facts so you’ll need at least 3-4 days to get a relevant idea of its character. You can always visit the Free Plovdiv Tour – you will get to know the city in only a couple of hours. But still, Plovdiv is not all about the past – it is the second largest city in Bulgaria and is populated by a lot of young people, studying in its universities (6 universities and 4 colleges) and exploring the city’s diversity. One of the oldest European cities offers cultural and entertaining tourism and its environs are a great place […]
November 24, 2013

The Bachkovo Monastery

Bulgarian Monasteries Bulgaria is a country with rich cultural heritage and important parts of this heritage are the Bulgarian monasteries. These unique temples are not only historical and architectural landmarks but also symbols of the Bulgarian spiritual power which preserved the Christian faith during many turbulent times. The Bachkovo Monastery is our next must-see place in the Plovdiv region (pronounced “Bachkovski manastir”). This beautiful landmark is situated 29 km south from Plovdiv and 9 km away from Asenovgrad, in the valley of the Chepelarska river in the Western Rodopi mountain. The monastery is only 10 km south from Asen’s fortress so you can combine the two landmarks on a single trip and go on an exciting Bulgarian adventure! The monasteries have played an important role in our history. They are beacons of traditional Bulgarian and Christian culture. Many of them have impressive architecture and unique interior. The magnificent wood-carving works and wall – paintings also contribute to the one of a kind atmosphere in the Bulgarian temples.  Some of the biggest […]
November 22, 2013

Sofia Architecture Week 2013

Does architecture fascinate you? Would you like to hear some interesting ideas about sustainable urban planning and discuss them with well-known architects from around the world? Do you want to share your vision of a city of the future? Well, if the answer to all these questions is “Hell yeah!” then you should definitely visit the 6th edition of Sofia Architecture Week!  From the 22nd of November untill the 1st of December, the guests of the festival can enjoy all kinds of entertaining and educational events related to architecture! This year the theme of the festival is “Future city” and for the first time SAW takes place in Plovdiv! The official opening is on the 22nd of November, at 19:00, at the House of culture.  Later, the ceremony continues with an opening party at club “Gramophone” on 37 Kniaz Aleksander Batenberg at 22:00. The first weekend of the festival hosts 9 exhibitions. Six of them are of the famous architect studios – Atelier OSLO, Mjolk Architects , Amin Taha Architects, […]
November 5, 2013

Asenova Krepost (Asen’s fortress)

The Asenova Krepost (Asen’s fortress) – Working Hours and Ticket Prices Working time: 10:00 h – 17:00 h (November-March), 10:00 h – 18:00 h (April-October);Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and SundayTickets: Adults – 3 lv; Children – 2 lvGPS: 41.986466,24.872957Tel: 089 487 7880   If you have finished your tour in Plovdiv and you are eager to visit another interesting destination in the region, we strongly recommend the Asen’s fortress („Asenova krepost” , „Асенова крепост”).     Location of Asen’s Fortress (Asenova Krepost) This fascinating place is seated on a high, rocky ridge in the Rodopi mountain, on the left coast of the Asenitsa river, about 2-3 km south from the little town of Asenovgrad (“the town of Asen”) and 20 km south from Plovdiv. The castle was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great in VI century. A stone inscription says that in 1230 Ivan Asen the Second rebuilt the fortress after he won the glorious battle near Klokotnitsa. The place is known also as “Stanimahos” (Станимахос) […]
July 11, 2013

​Our First Birthday is coming up!!!

One year ago locals from Plovdiv together with guides from Free Sofia Tour Association (now Association 365) took the initiative and started a walking tour in Plovdiv. The name was easy to choose- Free Plovdiv tour- connecting the name of our city and the name of our organization. The date was the 13th of July, Friday, which is our lucky number (our two other projects were started on the very same date- the 13th of August 2010 and the 13th  of April 2012. One year later we look back and smile – we’re now better, wiser and a bit more experienced guides. But all of us still remember the first thrill and the first nervous “Hello, I will be your guide today.”   For the past one year  we had a lot of fun, met  new friends and build a great team. Here are some of the achievements we managed to accomplish: Almost 2000 guests from all over the world have joined the Free Plovdiv Tour and discovered the city with […]
June 24, 2013

Lyusien Shevalas – The Minister of Flowers

Lyusien Shevalas is Swiss by birth, but his heart always belonged to Plovdiv Lyusien Shevalas graduated from the Forestry College in Paris. He worked not only in Europe, but also in Africa, Brazil and the Ottoman Empire. In Bulgaria he came at the invitation of knyaz Aleksander Bogoridi.  That was after the Liberation of Bulgaria and he was given the task to teach Bulgarian gardeners to design beautiful gardens, like the ones in Europe. In Plovdiv Once in Plovdiv, he fell in love with the city. The Gardner knew in his heart that he will never leave. He gave it his best effort and Plovdiv bloomed in his care. Shevalas created his best work here and his gardens are still appreciated and loved today – over 130 years later. In 1901 he received the award for Honourable Citizen of Plovdiv. Since then he was endearingly called the Minister of flowers. And it’s no wonder – he transformed what was a wasteland into a beautiful park with bamboo, palms, pines, cacti […]
May 10, 2013

Sasho the Sweetheart

There are many stories about Sasho the Sweetheart. Some of them are true, some are little white lies for us to remember him by. One thing we know for sure – Sasho was truly a sweetheart. Sasho the Sweetheart was born Aleksandar Nikolov on September 15, 1917. He was a famous musician, poet, painter and spoke five foreign languages. Music was his greatest passion, though, and this passion led him to graduate from the Music Academy in Prague and later on play in the famous restaurant “Bulgaria”. Some of his contemporaries say that he had something of a Viking presence, hot Macedonian blood and Slavic pride in him, hence the dreamy looks he received from the ladies. Sasho was also very witty and talkative and had a joyful disposition and loved to tell jokes, that’s how the nickname the Sweetheart came to be. And even though people from Plovdiv loved Sasho, politician weren’t so happy about him and his jokes and music. Even nowadays we can hear some of the […]
April 16, 2013

Join Us

It's that time of the year again – we need you! Once again Free Plovdiv Tour is looking for locals with long-term dedication to the first regular free sightseeing walking tours in our oldest city. Do you want to work in a young dinamic team, meet a lot of interesting people and have fun doing it? If so, your place is with us. Become a part ot the Free Plovdiv Tour team and you will enjoy every last minute. If you join us, you would: be part of a motivated and enthusiastic team of young professionals benefit from being in an international environment practice your public speaking… …with people from 6 continents work on exciting projects, including your own ideas get a jump start on networking have an opportunity to write for an online media pass a preparation course for free be on the news You are the perfect candidate, if you: love Plovdiv and Bulgaria are Bulgarian and speak fluent English (other languages are a plus) have international experience (preferably […]