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 club of the railway workers in Plovdiv". The first years of the team are difficult as its performance does not bring about such glory as some of the other teams of the city like Sportclub or Botev Plovdiv. The club is accepted as a member of the national sport federation a whole three years after its creation. Nevertheless, in the early 1940s the team betters their performance and in 1944 wins the Championship of Plovdiv. In an economical aspect the railway club contributes heavily to the development of sports in the region of Plovdiv, making large inputs for the improvement