Discover Plovdiv's charms (From This Is Local London)

Discover Plovdiv's charms

11:50am Monday 29th September 2008 in

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If you are looking for an unspoiled, undiscovered part of Europe to explore why not go to Plovdiv?

Where? I can hear you asking. Well, Plovdiv is in Bulgaria and is set to become a popular new eastern European city break destination.

This charming ancient city on the Balkan Peninsula – one of the oldest locations in Europe, complete with Roman ruins - combines the lively atmosphere of an Oriental trading centre with the Mediterranean laid back, leisurely lifestyle.

And if you want to indulge in luxury at a reasonable price then stay at the four-star park hotel Sankt Peterburg, a striking combination of contemporary elegance and modern European flair.

The Sankt Peterburg boasts a unique aqua park with summer garden and attractive swimming pools connected with a waterfall and rock formation.

There is also a plush bar, the White Nights night club with lively entertainment and a 600-seat restaurant on two levels as well as a smaller, intimate restaurant, both providing a wide variety of Bulgarian and European specialities.

My wife Heather and I loved our huge bedroom, the internet facilities in the hotel’s spacious reception area and the drinks area by the pools. But we much preferred the smaller restaurant to the larger one.

There are many eateries in Bulgaria and, although some of the dishes on offer were not to our taste, we enjoyed our meals at the Citizen’s Club Restaurant and Art Gallery where I had a lovely trout meal for only £3, and the equally good value Rahat Tope, which is situated at the top end of the main cobbled, winding street in the old town near the ruins of the ancient Roman fortress.

My favourite was the superb Veseloto Selo (Jolly Village) Restuarant, where we were enticed to strut our stuff with a group of talented Bulgarian dancers in dazzling costumes. I wiggled about with a shapely belly dancer!

Most Bulgarian eateries offer great value for money – you can get a meal for two and wine for around £25.

And the Mr Sweets stalls offered the best ice cream I have ever tasted!  Ellie Kostova, the helpful PR executive who took us to some choice eating places, joined me in doing an ice cream tasting almost every day!

One of the highlights during our stay in Plovdiv was a trip to the Bessa Valley vineyards where we sampled an excellent Merlot, the finely blended Enira and Cabernet Sauvignon, the richness of Syrah and the finesse of Petit Verdot.

The wine tour should take you just over two hours and it’s worth looking up Bessa Valley on its website bessavalley.com I also enjoyed a sauna, Chinese massage and jacuzzi at the Rilon Centre Spa.

Bulgaria’s tourism industry is best known for its sun-drenched beaches at Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and the ski slopes on the mountains at Borovets.

Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia and is situated in the central part of the Upper Thracian Plain on the two banks of the Marista River - 10km from the Rhodope mountains.

Plovdiv is host to economic and cultural events such as the international fair, the international theatrical festival, and for those who love history there are many remains preserved from antiquity, including the ancient amphitheatre.

Where better to relax than a charming city that has a fantastic modern hotel but has remained unchanged for centuries?

• We stayed at Sankt Peterburg hotel during our trip. For more details visit sphotel.net Astral Holidays, Bulgaria’s biggest tour operator, arranged our trip. Visit astralholidays.bg or call 00 359 2 9888 555.