“Dr. G. Valkovich” Street begins at the main “Knyaz Alexander Batenberg” Street, crosses “Otets Paisiy” Street, and ends at the central boulevard “Tsar Boris III Obedinitel”. Although it may seem just a few steps long at first glance, the street now hosts a beer bar, a sandwich shop, a barbeque place, a legendary Plovdiv pub, a boutique guest house, and the Metropolitan Church of St. Marina, which is notable for its wooden bell tower and for having the most bells in the city.
The street is named after the famous politician, military doctor, and public figure Dr. Georgi Valkovich, who is remembered as one of the most interesting individuals of the post-Liberation period. He was the heir of the noble and wealthy Chalakov family.
Valkovich first studied in Plovdiv, then he graduated from the Military Medical School (Tıphane-i Amire/ Cerrahhane-i Mamure) in Constantinople in 1857. After graduation, he worked as a surgeon and teacher at the same school.
He then actively participated in the political life of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia, becoming one of the leaders of the Conservative Party. Valkovich was among those who refused to sign the Tarnovo Constitution, believing it to be too liberal.
He served as a member of parliament in the 1st Grand National Assembly of 1879 and the 3rd National Assembly of 1882–1883. In 1879, Valkovich was appointed Director of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Buildings. In 1881, he was placed in charge of Eastern Rumelia's Department of Posts and Telegraphs. During the Regime of Proxies, Valkovich served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religious Denominations (1881–1883) and chairman of the State Council (1883).
During the Serbo-Bulgarian War, Valkovich oversaw all Bulgarian military hospitals. After the war, he was appointed director of the “Aleksandrovska” Hospital in Sofia.
In 1887, he was sent to Constantinople as the diplomatic deputy of the Principality of Bulgaria in the Ottoman Empire, a position he held until his death. Valkovich was one of the key figures behind Stefan Stambolov's active diplomatic policy, which aimed at improving the treatment of the remaining Bulgarian population in the empire.
Tragically, he was stabbed on a street in Constantinople and died of his wounds two days later. He was buried in Plovdiv.
In the past, “Dr. G. Valkovich” Street was colorful, with flowerbeds lining the center. At the corner where the street meets “11-ti Avgust” Street, also known as the Italian Street, stood the “Paris” Hotel. The project of the structure was designed by architect Mihail Nenkov, and the building was constructed in a remarkably short time.
The hotel’s opening ceremony was held on September 27, 1909. Originally named “Nezavisimost,” the hotel was renamed “Paris” a few months later in 1910. According to contemporary advertisements, the building had 40 rooms. In 1942, a new floor was added, along with a small clock tower on the roof. In 1933, a restaurant with a garden opened in the hotel’s yard.
After 1944, the hotel was renamed “Stalin.” For a brief period, it was converted into a student dormitory before reverting to its original function as a hotel, this time under the name “Rodopi.” The hotel’s café is still fondly remembered by older Plovdiv residents as the “Rodopi” lunchroom.
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