Maritsa: Archaeology, Traditions and Nature

When searching for hotels in Maritsa, the municipality’s cultural and landscape features can help guide your travel planning. Archaeology around Maltepe, historic churches and regional traditions offer a different focus from the Natura 2000 sites. Here you’ll find specific starting points to help decide what to focus on during your stay.

Location and orientation

The Municipality of Maritsa is located in the Upper Thracian Plain and occupies a central position within Plovdiv Province. The Maritsa and Stryama rivers flow through the municipality. The railway network includes 45 kilometres of lines connecting the Plovdiv–Karlovo, Plovdiv–Burgas and Plovdiv–Panagyurishte routes via several local villages. The A1 Trakia motorway also crosses the municipality. These details provide an overview of its geographical and transport context without equating individual routes or places.

Nature and protected areas

Natura 2000 sites in the Municipality of Maritsa protect habitats and wild flora and fauna along the Maritsa, Pyaschnik and Stryama rivers, as well as near Trilistnik. The proposed protected area BG0000578 “Maritsa River” includes municipal land in Kostievo, Manole, Rogosh and Skutare. River landscapes and designated protected areas are therefore part of the municipality’s character, alongside its archaeological and cultural sites.

Maltepe: archaeology and education

The Maltepe mound near Manole is an important archaeological landmark. Before the excavations, it measured approximately 125 by 130 metres and stood 21 metres high. Archaeological work took place there from 2016 to 2020. The mound was studied as a unique ancient monument from the time of Emperor Philip the Arab; the work was supported by the municipalities of Maritsa and Plovdiv.

The educational programme at the Maltepe Cultural Information Centre is connected to the excavations at the mound. Three educational packages focus on clay, ceramics and archaeology. Through hands-on learning, children work with the material and take their finished objects home. A project at the centre also includes a reconstruction model of the Via Diagonalis, intended to enrich the exhibition and visitor experience. In calendar year 2025, the centre recorded visits from 2,743 children from across Bulgaria, including nearly 800 from the Municipality of Maritsa.

The archaeological evidence extends beyond Maltepe. More than 300 cultural monuments have been identified in the Municipality of Maritsa, including mounds, settlements, tombs, statuettes and columns. Their range reflects the area’s history from the Thracian and Roman periods to the present day. The ancient tomb near Stroevo is a rare domed tomb type in Bulgaria. It was discovered in 1948; three graves are set into its floor.

Churches and local culture

Local churches also tell stories of architectural history and craftsmanship. The Holy Trinity Church in Benkovski was built in 1880 and is protected for its valuable frescoes and iconostasis. Its baptismal font dates from 1856. The Ascension Church in Graf Ignatievo was built from 1888 and consecrated in 1892. It was originally a three-aisled domed basilica; its roof was altered after the 1923 earthquake.

In Yasno Pole, the local cultural centre’s programme includes dance, theatre, folklore, public speaking, children’s dance and photography. The centre also organises community gatherings and meetings with writers. Another cultural event is the national folk festival “Po Terlitsi i Shevitsi” in Tsaratsovo: in September, the programme features folk singing, dance groups and individual performers from across Bulgaria.

Traditions and regional cuisine

The lutenitsa tradition brings together local recipes and culinary knowledge with vegetables and fruit from the region. The associated festival involves several generations. As part of an open-day tradition in Manole, women show children how to prepare ritual breads, loaves, twisted breads and banitsa in clay vessels. At a Maltepe event day, visitors could also take part in making a clay vessel for household smoking.

Every year on 1 May, the Maltepe Cultural Information Centre holds an event dedicated to the ritual making of clay baking vessels. Together with its educational activities on clay and ceramics, this event demonstrates a concrete link between craftwork and local traditions. If a festival or event is important to your travel plans, it is advisable to check the exact dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Trud, Kostievo, Hisarya, Perushtitsa, Karlovo, Rhodopi Municipality, Kaloyanovo, Stamboliyski.

For the broader travel overview: Plovdiv Province.