Driving from Ruse to Plovdiv this weekend. Any recommendations?

Hi!

We are going to Plovdiv this weekend, driving from Romania and entering Bulgaria through Ruse.

I have a few questions for people from Bulgaria or Plovdiv:

1. Is there anything nice to see on the way? Maybe a small place worth visiting, a nice restaurant with a view, or something that is worth a small detour?

2. We have one full day in Plovdiv. Besides the main tourist attractions, what else would you recommend? How's the Ethnographic Museum?

3. Are there any nice cafés or local restaurants or great bakeries (especially if there are any gluten free ones) that you recommend?

4. Is there anything we should be careful about?

Thank you.