Hisarya Roman town: a half-day trip from Plovdiv

Updated: October 29, 2026

Hisarya is about 45 km north of Plovdiv, around 50 minutes by car. In a half-day of four to five hours you can walk the Roman walls and the Kamilite gate, see the 4th-century Roman tomb, visit the archaeological museum and taste water from the town’s mineral springs, then return to Plovdiv for lunch or extend the day to the Starosel wineries.

Why Hisarya

In Roman times Hisarya was Diocletianopolis, a spa town built around warm mineral springs. Much of its fortress wall survives, in places several metres high, and you walk through it as you move around the town. It is one of the best-preserved Roman fortifications in Bulgaria, yet it sees far fewer visitors than Plovdiv’s Old Town.

Sight	What it is	Time
Kamilite (the Camels)	The southern gate, a tall double arch in the Roman wall	20 min
Roman walls and baths	Long stretches of wall, remains of the baths and barracks	45 min
Roman tomb	A 4th-century family tomb with geometric floor and wall paintings	20 min
Archaeological museum	Finds from the Roman town and the surrounding area	45 min
Mineral springs	Public fountains with warm mineral water around the park	15 min

Use the booking form above to send your route and date. Hisarya is pre-filled; if you plan to continue to Starosel or another stop, add it so the route is clear.

Half-day plan

Time	Plan
09:00	Pick-up in Plovdiv
09:50	Kamilite gate; walk along the southern wall
10:30	Roman baths and the remains of the town inside the walls
11:15	Roman tomb
11:45	Archaeological museum
12:30	Spring fountains in the park; fill a bottle
13:00 to 13:50	Return to Plovdiv

Bring an empty bottle. Locals fill up from the public fountains, and each spring has a slightly different temperature and taste.

Why a driver by the hour suits this trip

Hisarya has a railway station and buses from Plovdiv, so the town itself is reachable on public transport. A driver is useful if you want a short, fixed half-day without timetables, if you are travelling with older relatives, or if you want to add a second stop that buses do not serve. Hourly hire also means you do not pay for a full day when you only need the morning.

Extend it into a full day

• Starosel: about 25 km away, with a Thracian temple and wineries. See our Starosel winery day trip.
• Wine near Plovdiv: on the way back, several cellars around the city receive visitors. Our guide to wineries near Plovdiv lists the options.
• Rose Valley: Kazanlak is about an hour further east, though that turns a half-day into a long one.

A little history

The Roman town grew up in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD and took its name from the emperor Diocletian. Visitors came to bathe in the warm springs, as they still do today in the town’s spa hotels. The walls ran for more than two kilometres around the town and were later reused and repaired in Byzantine times, which is one reason so much survives.

Opening hours

The walls can be seen at any time. The tomb and the museum keep their own hours, which change with the season and may include a weekly closing day. Check with the Hisarya museum or the municipality before you travel, especially outside summer.

For a broader overview of what is near Plovdiv, read the best day trips from Plovdiv by drive time. For something wilder, the Wonderful Bridges and Shiroka Laka take you into the Rhodopes.