Stara Zagora has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) offer the most pleasant temperatures for exploring on foot. If you want to pair a visit with the nearby rose harvest, late May to early June is the time — the Valley of the Roses around Kazanlak, 40 kilometres north, holds its annual festival during this period, and the landscape of flowering roses is genuinely spectacular. Summer opera and outdoor performances at Ayazmoto Park run through July and August.