Smolyan

Smolyan lies in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains, where the Cherna and Byala rivers flow through valleys edged by thick woods and sharp mountain ridges. Created in 1960 by joining three villages—Ustovo, Raykovo, and Ezerovo—the town sits 3,300 feet above sea level, the highest urban area in Bulgaria. Nearby, Pamporovo and Chepelare attract skiers in winter, and trails in summer lead to spots like the Smolyan Lakes and Uhlovitsa Cave. In town, the Cathedral of Saint Vissarion, the biggest church in southern Bulgaria, rises with white domes, and the Smolyan Planetarium displays stars and planets.

Mountain Landscapes

The Rhodope Mountains around Smolyan invite exploration in every season. Skiers visit Pamporovo and Chepelare, 15 kilometers north and west, where slopes accommodate both novices and experts from December to March. When snow melts, trails open to the Smolyan Lakes, a group of glacial basins with bright green-blue waters. Three kilometers east, Uhlovitsa Cave holds underground lakes and limestone shapes formed over thousands of years. Near Momchilovtsi village, 10 kilometers north, walking paths pass stone homes and terraced fields that illustrate how people here have lived for generations.

History, Architecture, and Culture

Smolyan’s past appears in its buildings and institutions. The Cathedral of Saint Vissarion, finished in 2006, stands out with its white exterior and domes, its interior covered in detailed Orthodox Christian paintings. The Museum of the History of Mid-Rhodopi Mountains displays 150,000 items, such as tools from ancient Thracian times and fabrics from the Ottoman period. In Ustovo and Raykovo, neighborhoods retain 19th-century stone houses with slate roofs, remnants of the original villages. The 1830 monastery school, a center for Bulgarian language during Ottoman rule, sits near the town center. Performances occur year-round at the Rhodope Drama Theatre, and each July, the Rhodopi International Theatre Laboratory fills public spaces with plays and workshops.

Stargazing and Astronomy

The clear skies above Smolyan allow detailed views of stars and planets. Rozhen Observatory, on Mount Rozhen 15 kilometers south, operates the biggest telescope in Southeast Europe, with a mirror measuring two meters wide. In Smolyan, the planetarium’s 12-meter dome projects simulations of galaxies and solar systems during daily presentations. Researchers at both sites study cosmic events, and the observatory sometimes welcomes visitors during meteor showers or eclipses.

Festivals and Seasonal Activities

Summer brings cultural events to Smolyan. The Rhodopi International Theatre Laboratory in July stages experimental plays in forests or near lakes, with actors and audiences sharing the same natural spaces. August’s Momchilovtsi Folk Festival highlights Rhodope music, including performances on the kaba gaida, a local bagpipe made from goat skin. Winter festivals in Pamporovo include ice sculptures and nighttime skiing on lit slopes. Markets in Smolyan’s center sell wool blankets, jars of honey, and tea made from mountain herbs, with stalls changing by the season.

Places to Stay and Eat

Lodging options include modern hotels and small guesthouses. Smolyan Hotel, near the town center, puts museums and shops within walking distance, while Mechta Hotel by the lakes looks out over pine forests. Local meals include patatnik, a potato cake cooked with cheese on a griddle, and kapama, a stew of meats and sauerkraut simmered for hours. Restaurants in Momchilovtsi and Smolyan’s older neighborhoods often use ingredients from nearby farms, such as smoked meats, sheep’s milk cheese, and herbs picked from the mountains.

Travel and Local Transport

Buses run daily from Sofia (4–5 hours) and Plovdiv (2 hours) to Smolyan, following mountain roads with sharp turns. Within town, most sites are reachable on foot, but hourly buses go to Pamporovo and the Smolyan Lakes. Renting a car lets you visit places like Mogilitsa village or the “Miraculous Bridges,” limestone arches 25 kilometers northwest. No trains serve Smolyan directly; the closest stations are in Septemvri or Dobrinishte, requiring a bus ride to reach the town.

Villages and Areas to Explore Nearby

Beyond Momchilovtsi, Shiroka Laka village, 30 kilometers east, has stone bridges and a school teaching traditional music. West of Smolyan, Trigrad Gorge contains Devil’s Throat Cave, where waterfalls drop into pitch-black caverns. The ruins of Ustra fortress, 40 kilometers southeast, once protected trade routes into Greece. For a longer trip, the Thracian city of Perperikon near Kardzhali reveals temples and tombs cut directly into rock formations.