Plovdiv



Plovdiv is the second lerge Bulgarian city. The ancient Pulpudeva founded by the Thracians became Philipopolis under the rule of Philip II of Macedonia. The slavs named it Plovdiv.
It is now a district center with well developed industry. The well known Plovdiv Fair is being held here twice a year.
Plovdiv is a major center of culture and education, too. The city is famous for its university, the numerous historical monuments and the music and art events.
Plovdiv is situated in South Bulgaria on the banks of the Maritza river at a crossroads of the historical routes: from Central Europe via Belgrade - Sofia - Instanbul to the Middle East; from Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries to the Black Sea (Bourgas and Varna). The population of Plovdiv is 344 000.
The city is a major transport center with developed railway transport. There are railway connections to Vienna via Belgrade and to Stara Zagora and Varna. The Tracia highway provides quick access to Sofia. Many first class and second class roads connect the city with different parts of Bulgaria. The city has an international airport for charter flights. The distance to Sofia is 156 km.
  

The climate is mild: transitional continental, i.e. intermediate between temperate-continental and continental-Mediterranean. The average annual temperature is 12.0° Celsius. The winters are mild. Springs come earlier than in Sofia. In the period April - October the average temperatures are above 12° Celsius. The autumn are relatively warm and the summers are hot. The atmospheric pressure has the highest rates in January - 765.5 mm and the lowest - in July - 760.1 mm. Westerly winds dominate in Plovdiv. When wind blows from the south in 22% of the cases this is the Foehn. The speed of the Foehn winds is between 10 and 30 m/sec.

Sport facilities in Plovdiv
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