Spending the last few days down near the river, exploring this part of the city, I was able to find a really lovely river walk in Plovdiv.
Maritsa River
The Maritsa River flows through the city of Plovdiv and is the longest river in the Balkans. There are 6 bridges that cross the river of which I wrote about in a previous post. Today I walked along the river on the tourist side of the city. Here is what I found.
Where I Started
Starting at Old Bridge and ending at Agata Bridge, one is able to walk beside the river the whole way. The path starts out fairly old and rough. A retaining wall was at my left-hand side the entire stretch.
At several places along the way, are steps down onto the grassy bank should you wish to explore down close to the water. I would imagine the river is quite low being July. However, this area may be greatly diminished come winter.
Here is saw fishermen casting in the bright morning sunlight. What a beautiful and peaceful sight.
Newer Area
At Fair Bridge, the path becomes much cleaner, nicer and is lined with benches. This is a really pretty stretch to walk, between Fair Bridge and Agata. All along, and to the right, are various physical activity areas. I passed, an outdoor gym, a beautiful playground, a rock-climbing area and a dog park.
All of these things were free to the public to use. It was not crowded at all. In fact, besides a few people walking their dogs, I was the only person there!
The Other Side
I have walked across Old Bridge, Train Bridge and Fair Bridge to see what the other side of the river looks like. There is a path in places that was once probably in good shape. But today, the area is not the cleanest and not manicured. And with the amount of bugs in Plovdiv, I was not brave enough to walk through long grass and brush. Being a bug magnet, I have been dealing with my fair share of mossie bites. Ouch.
Sometimes I just need a break from the city, the crowds and the hustle and bustle of life. This walk along the river, gives me that break. As I wandered along, admiring the deep green river, the fishermen out for a morning of sport, and the carefree pace, I was reminded just how lucky I am.
I didn’t have to think about crossing streets, dodging people, looking out for sidewalk obstacles and such. I could let my mind wander and it was perfect. If you need a dose of nature while visiting Plovdiv, I highly recommend coming down to the river for a peaceful and scenic walk.
