The beginning of the street is from the Roman Stadium, passes by the Museum of Natural Science, and ends at ‘Tsar Kaloyan’ Square, south of the ‘6th September’ Boulevard. It is named after the great Bulgarian publisher and educator Hristo G. Danov, who spent most of his life in Plovdiv. He was born in the village of Klisura and became a teacher in Plovdiv in 1849.
Six years later, in 1855 in Belgrade, Danov printed a small calendar called "Staroplaninche" for the leap year of 1856 with his own funds. Thus, he laid the foundations of organized publishing in Bulgaria. In 1857, together with the teacher Yacho (Joakim) Truvchev and bookbinder Nyagul Boyadzhiev, he established the "Cooperative Bookbindery." Gradually, the cooperative evolved into a bookstore and a publishing house. After 1878, Danov managed to purchase his own printing press from Vienna and he managed to bring it to Plovdiv. His great contribution, however, was not only in publishing but also in distributing literary works. In 1878, he published the most authoritative newspaper in Bulgaria at the time, Maritsa, as well as the first wall maps of Bulgaria.
In 1882, he became a member of the National Assembly of Eastern Rumelia, and from 1886 to 1889, he served as mayor of Plovdiv, refusing to receive a salary for his service. Later, at his request, he was granted a salary, but with the condition that it be given to the orphanage under construction. During his mandate, he improved the appearance of the shops, helped open a theater, a museum, and a new bathhouse, and encouraged students to plant trees on Bunardzhika Hill. The first urban development plan for Plovdiv was also created during his time by architect Josef Schnitter.
Over the years, the street hasn't always had that name. During the monarchy, it was called ‘Ferdinand’, and during socialism, it was named ‘Vladimir Zaimov’, as it is still known by the older generation.
The building of the Old Town Hall, constructed in 1880 is located on that street. In 1952, the City People's Council decided to allocate the building for the use of the Museum of Natural Science, with a partial reconstruction and expansion of the building based on a design by Josef Schnitter in 1912. The dome was removed, and the roof was completely reconstructed, with extensions added to the main structure.
A few meters further, you can admire one of the architectural jewels created by Josef Schnitter — the "Palace" of Dragan Manchov. It is located at number 39 and now houses the administration of the district ‘Central’. Schnitter's friendship with the publisher Dragan Manchov dates back to the early years after the Liberation. The house, designed by the architect for Manchov, was long considered an example of elegant style and attracted the admiration of both locals and visitors. It has two spacious residential floors, and its design clearly indicates the owner's high social status and the aesthetic vision of the architect. The building was also the place where Ivan Vazov (who lived across the street) edited the Science magazine and likely conceived his epic Epic of the Forgotten. Many distinguished guests of the city, including public figures, writers, and diplomats, were hosted here. After the publisher’s bankruptcy, he was forced to sell the building. Soon after, it became the headquarters of the District Administration and later the Regional Administration.
Equally impressive is the house of brothers Yoakim and Georgi Gruevi, which now houses the "Maychina grizha" kindergarten. It was also designed by Schnitter, built in 1910, and remains one of the few buildings that still preserves Schnitter's original style.
There is hardly a Plovdiv resident who hasn't, at some point, stood in front of the "House with the Nymphs" and marveled at its exquisite details. It is known to have been designed by Emilia Sabeva, the mother of the great opera singer Subcho Subev (1899–1948), who graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She was a distant descendant of the famous Venetian painter Giacomo Favretto (1849–1887). The house's façade is truly unique — there is no other like it in Plovdiv. The first floor is divided by pilasters, with a bas-relief of a female figure holding flowers above, which is why it is called "The House with the Nymphs’’. The windows and balconies are also interesting, as they do not follow a strict geometric pattern but form graceful curves. The house was home to the first private trade school of Atanas Sabev.
On Hristo G. Danov Street, you'll also find the house of Edmondo Vaccaro, founder of the Excelsior Cinema and manager of the Bulgarian Eagle Tobacco Factory. We have a special article dedicated to how this true Plovdiv palace looks today. The palace itself housed seven children, a wife, and three servants. It was furnished with the most expensive furniture, decorated with original paintings, Japanese porcelain panels, and various statues.
Further along the street is the building of the Puppet Theater, which used to house the "Maichina grizha" Women's Society. For a long time, a large painted bus was parked in front, which was used to transport children to performances.
Today, the street is home to the Jewish Cultural House, part of which is the Community Center ‘Shalom Aleichem’, founded in 1945 with 600 books. Now, the center offers various language and art classes, and its library has thousands of readers and volumes of literature. The building was designed in 1923 by architect Kamen Petkov, and some of its elements and many decorations are in a style that was already outdated at the time, as modernism had begun to emerge.
Many of the houses on ‘Hristo G. Danov’ Street belonged to Jews. Here was the home of Haim Adroke — the grandfather of Yvette Anavi, as well as Dr. Sarov, who was relocated to Shiroka Luka but later moved with his family to Israel, where his descendants still practice medicine.
Today, the street is primarily a commercial area, with various stores for clothing, accessories, musical instruments, and more. In the section near the square, there are bank offices, a café, a pastry shop, and a restaurant.
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