Smolyan (Smolian) tourist info and hotels

The Mountain town of Smolyan (also Smolian) is located at 850 to 1050 meters elevation, has population of 33 000 and is picturesquely set in the gorge of Cherna River (Black River), in the majestic Rhodopes (Rodopi) Mountain. Smolyan is on around 260 kilometers south-east of Sofia, 103 kilometers south of Plovdiv, forty-six kilometers south-east of Devin and only fifteen kilometers south of the ski resort Pamporovo. Smolyan is a regional administrative centre and is one of the most picturesque mountain towns in Bulgaria.

Smolyan Surrounding Area Attractions and Places of Interest
Only 15 km north of Smolian is on of the most popular Bulgarian ski resorts - Pamporovo. Ten kilometers west of the town center are located the famous Smolyan Lakes, popular with the name The Emerald Eyes of the Rhodope Mountain. The largest lake of these is Bistroto Ezero, also known as The Clear Lake, which is also the deepest and the most beautiful of all Smolian Lakes.

Smolian Waterfall, on Kriva (Curved) River, is another great attraction in this beautiful area. The waterfall is twenty meters in height and is located south-west of Smolyan. Twenty-seven kilometers south of Smolian, in the picturesque valley of Arda River is the beautiful village of Mogilitsa. The village has some beautiful Revival Period houses, but the most interesting structure here is the Agoushev’s Konak, which was erected in the distant 1843. This unique building has 221 windows, 86 doors and 24 chimneys. The house is artistically decorated both inside and outside, with beautiful wood-carvings. The Konak tower is flower-painted, and the entire architectural design is an unique piece of art of an unknown master from the Rhodopes. A legend says that his right hand was cut by Agoush (the owner of the Konak) to make sure that the master will never create another similar masterpiece of art. Additionally, Agoushev’s Konak is the only well preserved medieval feudal castle on the Balkan Peninsula. For those interested in speleology, there are twenty caves in the area of the village worth exploring, with the most interesting of them being the Ultsata (Uhlovitsa) Cave, which is located three kilometers east of Mogilitsa. Overall the Ultsata Cave is easily accessible and there is a regular bus line from the Smolyan to Mogilitsa.
Ten kilometers north of Smolian is found another very interesting village - Momchilovtsi. Momchilovtsi’s authentic Rhodope architecture, the local ethnographic museum, the well preserved habits and traditions and unique nature, make the village a special site of both domestic and international tourism. Momchilovtsi can be easily reached by a regular bus line from both Smolyan and Chepelare.
The town of Smolyan is also a starting point for a many of tourist routes in the regional hills and ridges of Western Rhodopes.  Bus transportation is the most popular way to travel in Smolyan surrounding areas. There are regular bus lines to the capital of Sofia, Plovdiv, Devin, Pamporovo, Chepelare, Assenovgrad, Kardzhali, as well as to other smaller villages in the region.