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Holidaymakers in Essex can sample the pistes of Eastern Europe this winter, after budget airline, Ryanair, announced a new route from Stansted to the city of Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

The route, which begins on November 2 2010, will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays for the duration of the winter season.

Despite Plovdiv’s position as the second largest city in Bulgaria, the airport is only served by a handful of airlines, offering routes to local favourites such as Yemelyanovo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo airports in Russia, and the comparatively exotic, Dublin.

A new route to Belfast, due to begin in December, and Ryanair’s Stansted route make up the entirety of Plovdiv’s flights to Western Europe – unusual, given the city’s location within Bulgaria: Plovdiv is 54 miles from the ski resort of Pamporovo, and two hours from the slopes at Bansko.

Ryanair’s Laura McCormack explained the lure of Plovdiv – “the city has a rich and varied history dating back 8000 years." Laura claims that the airline is 'delighted' with its first ever route to the Bulgarian city.

The carrier will also boost the frequency of flights from Rome Ciampino Airport to London Stansted. The change, which comes into effect in November 2010, coincides with a new route from Gatwick to the Italian capital.

Known locally as the ‘City of the Seven Hills,’ Plovdiv has an impressive array of Roman architecture, including an aqueduct, an amphitheatre and odeon, and a stadium that would have held 30,000 people. The city is also the birthplace of World Footballer of the Year, Hristo Stoichkov.

Tickets for Plovdiv went on sale on August 5 at £32.99 for a single journey, taxes included.