Smolyan
Smolyan is a municipality in southern Bulgaria, situated in the central part of the beautiful Rhodope Mountains upon a territory of 879 square kilometers.
The town of Smolyan (around 34 thousand inhabitants) is the administrative center of the municipality. It occupies the larger part of the valley extension of the Cherna Reká (Black River). The town districts are positioned along the two river banks in west-eastern direction. The mountainous town is surrounded with green meadows and age-old forests and combines modern construction with traditional Rhodopian architecture.
Location
Smolyan is situated around 260 km away from the bulgarian capital Sofia and some 90 km away from Plovdiv (Bulgaria's second largest city) in an altitude between 800 and 1000 meters above sea level. It borders the Republic of Greece to the south, the Chepelare and Laki municipalities to the north, the municipalities of Roudozem, Madan and Banite to the east, and Devin to the west. The famous winter and summer resort of Pamporovo is only some 15 km away from Smolyan.
Location of Smolyan on MultiMap
Regional map of Smolyan on NonaNet
History
Smolyan has been a town since 1960. It was formed by the unification of the villages of Ezerovo, Raikovo and Oustovo. The name of Smolyan originates from the name of the Slavic tribe Smolyani, who formerly inhabitated the region.
Economy
As a municipality center, the town of Smolyan is an office residence for various companies, mainly in the technical, trade and service sectors.
Institutions and places of interest
- Planetarium Smolyan that celebrated its 30th anniversary in September 2005
- The National Astronomical Observatory "Rozhen" is situated in the immediate vicinity of Smolyan and is generally open for tourist visits
External links
- Further information about Smolyan in English can be found on the websites of: Rodopi-BG, TourInfo, BulgarianProperties
- Information about Smolyan in German