Bulgaria’s second largest city is a fascinating destination for travelers who love history, wine and offbeat places. Plovdiv may not be on the tourist radar, but you’d be remiss to skip out on Europe’s Capital of Culture 2019. You can easily visit Plovdiv as a day trip from Sofia, or even better as a 2-day trip.
More ancient than Rome and Athens, Plovdiv is regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. It was the ancient Thracians, a collection of Indo-European tribes, who originally settled in Plovdiv. They planted vines here, thus establishing a wine tradition that continues to define the surrounding region, the Thracian Valley. So, in honor of Bulgaria’s original settlers and the ancient tradition of winemaking in the Thracian Valley, we’ve compiled the best wine-inspired things to do in Plovdiv.
Is there anything better than a wine festival? Plovdiv hosts a number of wine festivals throughout the year, giving visitors an opportunity to taste some of Bulgaria’s indigenous grape varietals like Mavrud, Rubin, and Dimyat. Wine festivals in Plovdiv are largely attended by locals and perhaps Sofia-day-trippers. The atmosphere is authentic and unpretentious, and winemakers are happy to talk to you.
In November, we partook in the Young Wine Festival. This 3-day festival (Friday-Sunday) takes place in late November each year and hosts nearly 50 wineries. Each winery has a station inside, or outside a historical building in the old town of Plovdiv. Everyone is welcome to participate. There are no entrance or pre-sold tickets. You simply buy a set of tokens, which are available at venue participating in the wine festival. Each token equals a single taste. The prices were as follows:
- 8 Tokens (degustations) + 1 Wine Glass: 8 Lev
- 12 Tokens (degustations): 6 Lev
- 4 Tokens (degustations): 2 Lev
Though the festival features young wine, most wineries sell some of their older vintages. We bounced around the stations for two days and got happy on Domaine Viticole Viticole Nitchev’s Mavrud (2015), Trastena’s Merlot andRaspberry Wine Blend (2015), and Logoda’s Melnik 55 (2016). There are also several restaurants and specialty food shops represented at the festival.
While there are plenty of things to do in Plovdiv at any time of the year, if you can time your visit with a wine festival, your experience will be even more special.
Though the festival features young wine, most wineries sell some of their older vintages. We bounced around the stations for two days and got happy on Domaine Viticole Viticole Nitchev’s Mavrud (2015), Trastena’s Merlot andRaspberry Wine Blend (2015), and Logoda’s Melnik 55 (2016). There are also several restaurants and specialty food shops represented at the festival.
While there are plenty of things to do in Plovdiv at any time of the year, if you can time your visit with a wine festival, your experience will be even more special.
Wine Festivals in Plovdiv
- Young Wine Festival (Late November) – This is the festival we attended in the Old Town of Plovdiv. The festival kicks off with a traditional dance and music performance and lasts 3 days.
- Wine & Gourmet Parade(Early May) – A 2-day Spring Wine Festival in the Old Town of Plovdiv
- Trifon’s Day(February 14th) – Each year on February 14th, Bulgarians celebrate the patron of winegrowers and winemakers, St. Trifon Zarezan. Throughout the country, there are unique wine festivities and traditions in villages, wineries, and vineyards. Brestovitsa, a wine village close to Plovdiv, celebrates the holiday with a procession from the town to the vineyards. All the town’s wine cellars are open for wine tasting and selling.