There are certain things I like to see in each destination I travel to. One of these is a shopping mall. Now I know that may seem strange but viewing the local fashion, eateries and architecture is interesting to me. Never having visited Bulgaria before, I was curious to see what a mall here looked like. Not too far from my flat is Mall Markovo Tepe in Plovdiv city centre.
All Encompassing
This mall seems to have it all. Located in the basement is a local grocery chain called Billa. Here I can find most of the products I need to fill my kitchen with everyday essentials.
The 4th floor has a food court of which I recognize only one eatery, Subway. I did see a Starbucks sign, however I don’t think it is a legal entity. That vendor had a refrigerator type situation with canned Starbucks drinks only. Also on this level is an arcade and children’s play area.
The top floor houses an IMAX movie theatre, advertising new Hollywood movies. Pretty cool. If only I could understand Bulgarian.
Fashion
The middle three floors of the mall showcase various types of fashion. Clothing, shoes, jewellery, pharmacy, and telecommunications. Only two stores were familiar to me. The clothing seemed to range from a large dollar store selection to young modern. There were no upscale or luxury brand shops in this mall.
Markovo Tepe is bright, airy and super clean. There is an underground parkade should you require that on your visit. Both times I have visited have been fairly early in the morning, so I have escaped any crowded situation. If you are visiting Plovdiv, and require anything, this would be a perfect shopping place to visit.
In fact, this was my very first stop upon entering the city after I dropped off my luggage. I was able to purchase my Bulgarian SIM card from the Yettel shop and it has worked perfectly since.
