Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Stara Zagora has a few more edifying ancient sites and a museum, but is best known for
Zagorka, a leading Bulgarian beer. The brewery is visible when entering from the west
(though unfortunately it doesn't conduct tours).
History
Throughout history, the salubrious climate and fertile land here attracted many invaders
and settlers, including the Thracians (from the 4th century BC), who called it Beroe.
Around 100 AD Romans came, creating the prosperous Ulpia Augusta Trayana. Stara
Zagora's strategic location made it important during Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian
times.
Unfortunately, rampaging Turks frequently destroyed the city, which was abandoned in
the mid-13th century. After eventually regrouping, it saw fierce fighting during the Russo-
Turkish War, again being completely demolished by the Turks in 1877. The few surviving
remnants of Thracian and Roman ruins are now largely hidden beneath the modern city.
Today, Stara Zagora's very much a living city, and a thriving educational and cultural
centre.
Sights
Old City
Built on the grid of an ancient Roman city, Stara Zagora has yielded some amazing dis-
coveries. One, a massive
floor mosaic
(4th to 5th centuries AD), is in the post office's
eastern entrance. The room relies on natural light: see it on a sunny day.
RUINS
Roman Theatre
(ul Mitropolit Metodii Kusev)
The 3rd-century AD Roman Theatre, often called the
Antique Forum Augusta Trayana, is well preserved and hosts summertime concerts. As
wandering around isn't allowed, peer in from the roadside. Other ruins opposite are ac-
cessible too.
ANCIENT SITE
Neolithic Dwellings Museum
( 600 299; admission 3 lv; 9am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat)
Two 8000-year-old Stone
Age houses are partially preserved in a secure and airtight environment at the Neolithic
Dwellings Museum. These modest one-room homes were abandoned after a fire several
millennia ago, making them among the Balkans' best preserved neolithic dwellings.
MUSEUM
