Plovdiv
Containing the municipality of the country's second-largest city, the province of Plovdiv displays an immense cultural heritage and is an important economic and educational hub for southern Bulgaria. Set in the Upper Thracian Plain, and carved by the Maritsa River, the area is locked between the Rhodope Mountains and the Balkans. Having amassed large amounts of history, Thracian, Roman and Medieval, the area also offers rare examples of Bulgarian Revival town houses, which differ significantly from the better known whitewashed rural ones. Its major city is recognisable for its scenic seven hills. The city of Plovdiv contains the remains of an ancient amphitheatre, a Roman stadium, an Odeon, as well as the heritage village of Eirene.