The 8 Best Small Towns Near Plovdiv for a Day Trip or Slow Weekend
From a frozen-in-time Revival town to rose valleys, Roman spa ruins, and Rhodope mountain villages, these are the most rewarding small towns within easy reach of Plovdiv.
Last updated June 25, 2026
An elegant historic building in Sofia, Bulgaria, showcasing intricate architecture surrounded by lush greenery. · Valeria Drozdova
Plovdiv is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, but its real advantage as a base is what surrounds it: rose-scented river valleys, Thracian burial mounds, Roman spa ruins, and timber-and-stone mountain villages, almost all within a 90-minute drive. You can be sipping coffee under Plovdiv's Roman theatre in the morning and walking a cobbled Revival street or a vineyard by lunch.
These eight towns are ordered roughly best-first for a single trip from Plovdiv, balancing how special they are against how easy they are to reach. Some, like Asenovgrad, are a quick half-day; others, like Koprivshtitsa or Kazanlak, reward an early start or an overnight.
Most are doable by car, and several connect by bus or train, though public transport in this part of Bulgaria runs to its own rhythm. Where a well-run organized day tour exists, we have flagged it, but every town here is worth visiting on your own too.
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1
KoprivshtitsaAbout 90 km north of Plovdiv, in the Sredna Gora mountains Google
If you visit one small town from Plovdiv, make it Koprivshtitsa, an open-air museum of the Bulgarian National Revival where roughly 380 protected houses line cobbled lanes and clear mountain streams. The painted timber mansions of wealthy 19th-century merchants, several open as house-museums, are the finest collection of their kind in the country. This is also where the 1876 April Uprising against Ottoman rule first ignited, and the town leans into that history without feeling like a theme park. Come for the architecture and the cool, pine-fresh air, and stay for hearty Sredna Gora cooking in a courtyard tavern.
- The Oslekov House and Lyutov House museums
- The First Shot Bridge and April Uprising monuments
- Cobbled lanes and humpback stone bridges over the river
Best for: history lovers and a slow, photogenic day out
Getting there: About 1.5 hours by car; trains run from Plovdiv but the station sits 9 km below town, with a connecting bus
2
AsenovgradAbout 20 km south of Plovdiv, at the mouth of the Rhodopes Google
The closest worthwhile escape from Plovdiv, Asenovgrad sits where the plain meets the Rhodope Mountains and makes an easy half-day. Its showpiece is Asen's Fortress, a 13th-century stronghold crowning a rock spur, with the tiny Church of the Holy Mother of God perched dramatically above the gorge. The town itself is known across Bulgaria for its wineries and as a gateway to the Asenitsa River valley. Pair the fortress with nearby Bachkovo Monastery, the second-largest in the country, for a classic Plovdiv day out.
- Asen's Fortress and its clifftop church
- Bachkovo Monastery's frescoed courtyards
- Local Mavrud red wine from area cellars
Best for: an easy half-day combining a fortress and a monastery
Getting there: About 30 minutes by car, or frequent buses and trains from Plovdiv
3
KazanlakAbout 100 km north of Plovdiv, in the Valley of the Roses Google
Kazanlak is the heart of Bulgaria's Rose Valley, where the world's finest rose oil has been distilled for centuries, and where the fields bloom pink and fragrant in late May and June. Beyond the roses, this is the Valley of the Thracian Kings: dozens of burial mounds dot the plain, including the UNESCO-listed Kazanlak Tomb with its remarkable painted murals. The Rose Museum and the working distilleries explain how a few drops of oil command such a price. Time a June visit around the Rose Festival for parades, folklore, and dawn rose-picking.
- The UNESCO Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (and its full-size replica)
- The Museum of Roses and a working distillery
- Rose fields and the June Rose Festival
Best for: the rose harvest, Thracian history, and festival-goers
Getting there: About 1.5 hours by car over the Shipka pass; buses and trains also connect via Stara Zagora
4
HisaryaAbout 45 km north of Plovdiv Google
Hisarya (also spelled Hisar) is Bulgaria's most famous spa town, built over mineral springs the Romans prized 1,800 years ago. Its standout sight is the astonishingly well-preserved Roman fortress wall, including the monumental Kamilite gate, ringing the old town. Locals and visitors come to drink and bathe in the warm mineral water, which fills public fountains and a string of spa hotels. It is a calm, leafy place for a restorative day: tour the ruins, fill a bottle at a spring, and linger in the town park.
- The Roman fortress walls and Kamilite gate
- Mineral-water springs and spa bathing
- The Archaeological Museum and Roman thermae remains
Best for: a relaxed, low-effort day and spa lovers
Getting there: About 45 minutes by car; direct buses and a branch-line train run from Plovdiv
5
KarlovoAbout 60 km north of Plovdiv, at the foot of the Balkan range Google
Set against the wall of the Stara Planina mountains, Karlovo blends Revival-era charm with deep national significance as the birthplace of Vasil Levski, Bulgaria's most revered revolutionary. His house-museum and the imposing monument anchor a town of cobbled streets, old churches, and rose-oil heritage. The setting is the draw as much as the sights, with the high peaks rising directly behind the rooftops. It pairs naturally with the Rose Valley and makes a good stop on a longer northern loop.
- The Vasil Levski Museum and memorial complex
- Revival-era old town and Sushitsa gorge nearby
- Rose Valley fields on the town's doorstep
Best for: Bulgarian history and mountain scenery
Getting there: About 1 hour by car; regular trains and buses run from Plovdiv
6
Shiroka LakaAbout 90 km south of Plovdiv, deep in the Rhodope Mountains Google
Shiroka Laka is the quintessential Rhodope village: tiered white houses with dark timber balconies stacked above a narrow river, reached on a winding mountain road. It is famous for its school of folk music, whose students keep the haunting bagpipe (gaida) traditions alive, and for the Surva masquerade in early March when bell-clad kukeri parade to scare off winter. The Church of the Assumption hides striking frescoes behind a plain stone exterior. Come for mountain air, slow lunches of Rhodope cuisine, and a genuinely different Bulgaria.
- Traditional Rhodope architecture above the river
- The folk music school and gaida (bagpipe) tradition
- Rhodope dishes like patatnik and klin
Best for: mountain scenery, folk culture, and a scenic drive
Getting there: About 1.5 to 2 hours by car via Smolyan; limited buses, so driving is best
7
StaroselAbout 50 km north of Plovdiv, in the Sredna Gora foothills Google
Starosel is a quiet village that punches far above its size thanks to one of the largest Thracian cult complexes ever found, a 5th-century-BC temple-and-tomb carved into a hillside mound. The site, with its monumental staircase and stone columns, makes a fascinating, uncrowded stop. The village has also become a wine destination, with a large estate winery producing respected reds you can taste on the spot. Combine the ancient temple with a long, sun-warmed lunch and a cellar tour for a satisfying day.
- The Thracian temple complex of Chetinyova Mogila
- Wine tasting at the Starosel estate
- Quiet countryside and vineyard views
Best for: wine lovers and ancient-history buffs
Getting there: About 1 hour by car; public transport is sparse, so drive or join a tour
8
KaloferAbout 70 km north of Plovdiv, beneath Botev Peak Google
Tucked under the highest summit of the Balkan Mountains, Kalofer is a small, proud town best known as the birthplace of the poet-revolutionary Hristo Botev. Its most striking moment comes every January 6, when men wade into the icy Tundzha River to dance the horo in a famous Epiphany ritual. Year-round, it is a gateway to the Central Balkan National Park, with trails toward Botev Peak and waterfalls in the hills above. It also keeps a traditional lace-making heritage and a handful of Revival houses.
- The Hristo Botev museum and monument
- January Epiphany ice-water horo dance
- Hiking gateways into Central Balkan National Park
Best for: hikers and travelers chasing offbeat traditions
Getting there: About 1 hour by car; trains and buses on the Sofia line stop here
Good to Know
Getting around A rental car gives you by far the most freedom, since several of these towns (Starosel, Shiroka Laka, Koprivshtitsa) have thin bus service. Trains and buses do reach Asenovgrad, Hisarya, Karlovo, and Kalofer reliably from Plovdiv.
When to go Late May and June are magic for the Rose Valley around Kazanlak and Karlovo, when the fields bloom and the Rose Festival runs. Spring and autumn are ideal for the Rhodope and mountain towns; midwinter brings Epiphany rituals and kukeri carnivals.
What to book ahead House-museums and the Kazanlak tombs keep limited hours and sometimes close one day a week, so check before a long drive. For Starosel and the wineries, call ahead to confirm tastings.
Pace yourself Asenovgrad and Hisarya are easy half-days, but Koprivshtitsa, Kazanlak, and Shiroka Laka deserve a full day or even an overnight to enjoy without rushing.
Plovdiv rewards anyone who treats it as a base rather than a checkbox: within an hour or two you can trade Roman ruins for rose fields, Thracian tombs, mountain bagpipes, and Revival cobblestones. Pick one or two of these towns per day, leave time for a long village lunch, and let Bulgaria's slower pace set the agenda.