Location: The town is located at the heart of the South Rhodope Mountains, 246 km south from Sofia and about 98 km from Plovdiv. Smolyan is the administrative centre of Municipality of Smolyan. The large ski resorts in the Rhodopes – Pamporovo and Chepelare are located nearby.
Population: 33 000 inhabitants
History: Since ancient times, there used to be Thracian settlements in these lands, mentioned in the ancient Greek chronicles of Herodotus and Philostratus. The lands of the legendary Rezos, who was famous with its wealth, described by Homer in “Iliad” are not far from here. The name of Orpheus is also associated with this region.
The name of the town comes from the Slavic tribe of smolyans, who lived on these lands. In the Middle Ages, Bulgarians and Slavs lived together in this region. During the 14th century the fate of this region was related to the name of Momchil voyvoda (the protector of the Rhodope Mountains), who built his fortress east from today’s town and led battles against the Ottoman conquerors. During the National Revival period, craftsman’s settlements developed in the region of Smolyan. Homespun, frieze and rug carpets were manufactured, which were popular in the entire Ottoman Empire. The economic power during the Revival period was manifested in the construction of beautiful houses with Rhodopes architecture, as well as churches and schools. The coppersmith production, shoe making and goldsmith’s trade developed here. After the Berlin Congress, Smolyan (which was a village at the time) and the region remained under the Ottoman rule until 1912, when the region was liberated by the 7th Rila Division during the First Balkan War. On the 18th of June, 1960 the three villages of Smolyan, Raykovo and Ustovo united to form the town of Smolyan and now each of them is a residential quarter in the town. Today Smolyan is an important administrative and economic centre.
Landmarks:
- Regional Museum of History in Smolyan was established in 1935. This is the oldest and the largest museum in the Middle Rhodopes and it is part of the 100 National tourist sites. The museum exposition on an area of 2000 square meters exhibits objects from the archaeology, history, lifestyle and culture of people in the Rhodopes region and authentic works of art of cultural and historical significance.
- Pangalov’s house is a valuable architectural cultural monument from 1860 with its typical architecture for the Rhodopes region.
- St. Vissarion Smolyanski Cathedral is an orthodox church in the town of Smolyan and it was sanctified on 2nd of July, 2006. It was named after Visarion Smolianski, a local bishop and martyr from the 17th century. The construction of the church started in 2002 and was funded by private donations.
- Cultural life: Smolyan is a centre of significant cultural events – the National Folklore Gathering “Rozhen”, the International youth folklore Orpheus celebrations, International youth hip-hop funk festival "Jam On It", International painting plain-air, May Cultural Celebrations, the traditional holiday of the mummers, the masquerade “Pesponedelnik” in the village of Shiroka laka and many others.
Surroundings: in the region of Smolyan, you can also visit:
- Pamporovo is the most popular and largest winter resort in Bulgaria. It is located 230 km away from Sofia and 15 km away from Smolyan. Its altitude at the central part of the resort is 1650 m. The sunny days during the year are more than 240. Although Pamporovo offers excellent possibilities for hiking in summer, it is a preferred place for active recreation mainly during winter.
- Village of Shiroka laka is declared an architectural and ethnographic reserve with a population of about 850. It lies 24 km northwest of Smolyan. The village is located at the foot of the northeast sides of the West Rhodopes, and the southwest slopes of Chernatitsa. The name of the village has an Old Bulgarian derivation and means a wide place around the river. The houses are amphitheatrically positioned on the two banks of the Shirokolashka river. Shiroka laka is an ideal place for eco-tourism with its magnificent nature, hotels, private lodgings.
- Village of Gela is located 7 km away from Shiroka laka. The numerous archaeological treasures prove that the village is one of the most ancient settlements in the Rhodope region. There are many facts that make the researchers state that the vicinity of the village of Gela is the native place of the mythical Orpheus.
- Village of Stoykite is located 15 km away from Smolyan and 7 km away from Pamporovo. The landmarks that you can see here are the community centre, the school and the beautiful chapels. The picturesque village, cuddled in the heart of the mountain, is a preferred place for recreation for those who like hiking tourism, since there are numerous nice hiking routes in the vicinity.
- Devin is located in South-Central Bulgaria in Rhodope Mountains. The town is mostly famous for its mineral springs known from ancient times. Devin has several mineral water springs with a temperature between 37 and 44C. The climate of the spa is transitionally continental, considerably tempered by the southern influence. The internationally famous year-round resort Pamporovo is situated 35 km away from Devin.
- Momchil’s Fortress. The legend associates the fortress to the semi-mythical figure of Momchil voivoda, who protected the Rhodopes from the invasion of the Ottoman Turks at the end of the 14th century. It is located near the Gradishteto site and the specialists believe that it gave the name of the village. The archaeologists have discovered a lot of objects and data that confirm the legend.
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