Plovdiv a horse racing club and a horse base near the city. Plovdiv has several volleyball and basketball teams. Three of the city's seven hills are protected natural territories since 1995. Two of the first parks in Bulgaria are located in the city center "Tsar Simeon garden – city garden", where the very first work of the Italian sculptor Arnoldo Zocchi could be seen, and "Dondukov garden – old city garden". Some of the larger parks include the "Botanical garden", "Beli Brezi", "Ribnitsa", and "Lauta". Plovdiv is twinned with the following cities: The asteroid (minor planet) is named after the city.
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv can be defined as that of "Sportclub Plovdiv" (being the fan-based team), and of club of the railway workers (being the team funded by the union). In the spring of 1922 the sport club "Karadzha" is founded administratively by the consolidation of some casual football teams in one of the districts of the city of Plovdiv so that the players can compete in the Championship of Plovdiv. Two years later, in 1924, the sport club "Atletik" is formed in the same district of Plovdiv as Karadzha. On 26 July 1926 the two sport clubs from the same district, Karadzha and