Plovdiv, BulgariaOne of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world — a 2nd-century marble amphitheatre discovered when a hillside collapsed during a landslide, still used for open-air concerts today. Seating 7,000, with the Rhodope Mountains as a backdrop, it is the most dramatic ancient monument in Bulgaria.
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The finest preserved Bulgarian Revival old town — a hillside of 19th-century National Revival mansions with overhanging upper floors, cobblestone lanes, and medieval foundations that reveal thousands of years of continuous habitation. The most beautiful old town in Bulgaria and one of the most atmospheric in the Balkans.
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Plovdiv's arts and crafts quarter — a labyrinth of narrow lanes in the city center filled with studios, ateliers, galleries, craft beer bars, and street art. Kapana ('the Trap') was a craftsmen's quarter for centuries; its current incarnation as a creative district was Bulgaria's most successful urban regeneration project.