Kapana is Plovdiv's creative quarter — a grid of narrow streets just west of the old town that has been transformed over the past decade from a neglected artisans' neighbourhood into the most lively part of the city. Independent galleries, design studios, craft breweries, coffee shops, and small restaurants fill the ground floors of what were once workshops.
The best time to be in Kapana is evening, when the restaurants fill and the small squares host impromptu events, live music, and street performances. The Plovdiv European Capital of Culture year (2019) accelerated the gentrification considerably — Kapana now has a polished infrastructure without having entirely lost its working character. The neighbourhood is compact enough to walk completely in 20 minutes, but plan on staying much longer.