Balgarianovinite.com In 2026 Bulgaria is hosting the Grande Partenza event of the 109th Giro d’Italia. Running through key centres of culture and wonders of nature, the route is divided into three stages, each taking one day from May 8 to 10.
Stage 3: Plovdiv – Sofia (May 10, 2026)
The last stage of the race (175 km) passes through Plovdiv (Europe’s oldest urban settlement, dating back to 4000 BCE), the high-altitude part of Mt Rila, and the capital Sofia. The route runs across or past Plovdiv, Stamboliiski, Malo Konare, Pazardzhik, Zvanichevo, Septemvri, Belovo, Momina Klisura, Kostenets, Dolna Banya, Raduil, Borovets, Samokov, the Iskar Dam, Dolni Pasarel and Pancharevo and finished in Sofia.
Cultural and historical landmarks
In Plovdiv, the Ancient Theatre and the Roman Stadium are among the world’s best preserved monumental ancient structures. In the mountain resort of Borovets, the entrants will cycle past the Tsarska Bistritsa Palace (a Bulgarian royal residence between 1898 and 1946), and in Sofia their route will take them alongside the St Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral and the St Sophia Basilica, the Sofia Regional History Museum, and the Serdica Ancient Complex, excavated beneath the capital city centre and featuring one of the two main streets of ancient Serdica, the decumanus maximus, and remains of the Roman city.
Natural landmarks
In its final part, the cycling tour goes through the Rila National Park, at the foot of the Musala Peak (the Balkans’ highest elevation, 2,925 m). The Vitosha Nature Park (designated in October 1934 as the first such protected area in Bulgaria and in the Balkan Peninsula) frames the conclusion of the race in Sofia. Sofia: the Partenza’s Final Destination 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-06 18:12:27 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
