Only a week ago they officially opened the bicycle season in the Trakia district in Plovdiv, the start in the city is coming soon, but the cyclists are already ready to conquer the routes in the city under the hills. In recent years and after the building of 60 km of bicycle lanes, it is now possible to get to most places and neighborhoods by your bicycle. Having in mind the increasingly alarming facts about the extremely polluted air and the massive tendency to move towards more eco-friendly alternatives to urban and road transport, we will try to highlight a few key points if you choose to explore Plovdiv in this way.
Although there is a constant expansion of the city's cycling lanes, there are still no stations where you can take a municipal bicycle and leave it at the next suitable location. The ambitious project of the municipality is to introduce shared use, but so far we are still far from providing this service to the citizens and guests of the city. It is possible, however, to rent a bicycle, and perhaps the most popular place for this is the Rowing Channel. Our check on the internet showed that for 20 BGN deposit and another 20 BGN rent, you can use the rented bicycle for a period of 48 hours.
Popular cycling routes are along the banks of the Maritsa River, where you can easily reach the most suitable place for practicing cycling as a recreation - Otdih I Kultura park. Here you can use the mark along the Rowing Channel itself or embark on a slightly different experience away from the tourist area. Most of the large parks in Plovdiv have separate alleys where you can ride undisturbed, and another popular spot for relaxation among greenery is Lauta Park. For all fans of more extreme cycling are the routes on the Youth Hill.
We’d particularly like to clarify the fact that biking and cycling are prohibited on the main shopping street and in the park, and you may be fined. The option is either to push your bicycle by hand or to leave it on a stand. The closest to the Main Street is the one near the parking lot of the Radio-TV Center. According to cyclists, there is also the safest place because of the proximity to the municipal police station and video surveillance.
Besides stands for all lovers of this way of transport, there are also three points for first aid in the center of Plovdiv. There you can pump a tire or repair your vehicle in case of an irregularity.
Touring the city of the seven hills by bicycle is certainly an experience that will bring you different emotions and the season from April to November is the right time for that. Whether you just want to try out for fun or have a specific target you want reach, cycling is a way to look at Plovdiv from a different angle.
