Anastas Badev / Vice Chairman /

    Bulgaria, situated in the south-eastern part of Europe, and in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, had been a land of many ancient civilizations and great peoples. For centuries, the roads passing through the territory of our country have been connecting Europe to Asia and Africa.
     Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria. It is the second largest city in the country and is located on the banks of Maritsa River. Its unique location on these ancient crossroads has stimulated strong cultural and political influences from East and West civilizations, and yet maintained its unique cultural identity. Being older than most of the oldest towns like Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople, an almost contemporary of Troy, Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and its culture has developed upon layers of cultures.
    Plovdiv is a town that had the exceptional destiny to be a witness of a lot of historical vicissitudes. Its eight-millenary history gives it the right to be regarded as a coeval of human civilization and one of the most ancient towns in Europe. The town is a point of intersection of cultures and epochs, religions and beliefs, a crossroad, connecting countries and continents. Its key position on the road Europe – Asia makes it a significant merchant and cultural centre.

   Plovdiv is a picturesque town, with many parks and gardens, museums and archaeological monuments. Its old part, called the Old Town, with houses from the National Revival period (18-19th century), is an imposing open-air museum situated on the three hills of the ancient Trimontium. One of the most remarkable sights of the town, the Ancient Theatre (a well-preserved Roman theatre), is located there and is still used for open-air performances.