Tzar Simeon Garden, Urban park in central Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Tzar Simeon Garden is a green space in central Plovdiv featuring walking paths, flowerbeds, a central lake with fountains, and various monuments throughout. The grounds include marble chess tables, children's playgrounds, dining spots, and areas for cycling and inline skating.
The garden was created for the First Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition, held from August to October 1892 on the site of the former Ottoman cemetery Shehidlik. Landscape architect Lucien Chevallaz, previously head gardener to Sultan Abdülaziz, laid it out in ten months from October 1891 to July 1892. After the exhibition, Prince Ferdinand I donated the park to the people of Plovdiv and named it after Tsar Simeon I.
The garden's name comes from a decree by Prince Ferdinand I, who donated it to the people of Plovdiv on condition it bear the name of Tsar Simeon I. Monuments to figures such as Hristo Botev, Vasil Petleshkov, Georgi Sava Rakovski, Nayden Gerov and Patriarch Kiril stand among the trees, alongside a bust of tobacco merchant Dimitar Kudoglu and a monument to Momotaro, a Japanese folk hero.
The grounds are easy to navigate with wide paths and numerous seating areas spread throughout for rest and relaxation. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon when crowds are lighter and temperatures are more comfortable.
The garden was laid out on the site of the old Ottoman cemetery "Shehidlik", south of Sahat Tepe. The Demeter fountain, carved by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Zocchi, is the only relic of the First Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition of 1892. A 10-metre steamship, the Angel Kanchev, once floated on the exhibition lake.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,045 contributors worldwide.