The Smolyan province is the heart of the mystical Rhodope mountains where the peaks are rounded and the forests never end. Your road trip takes you to the Wonderful Bridges which are massive natural stone arches formed by an ancient cave collapse. You can walk under the giant stone ceilings and feel how small you are against the power of nature. The path through the woods is easy and leads you to different viewpoints of the rocky bridges. It is a magical place that feels like it belongs in a storybook.
Drive deeper into the high valleys to find the city of Smolyan which is home to the largest planetarium in the country. You can sit under the dark dome and learn about the stars that shine so brightly over these clean mountain peaks. The city is also famous for its series of lakes that are scattered among the pine trees like blue gems. You can park your car and take a short walk around the water to breathe in the scent of the resin. The atmosphere here is quiet and the local people are known for their warm hospitality.
The drive continues to the village of Shiroka Laka which is a center for traditional folk music and bagpipes. The houses are built in a unique style with white walls and heavy stone roofs that cling to the steep hillsides. You might hear the deep sound of the kaba gaida bagpipe echoing through the valley as you explore the streets. This area is the soul of the mountain culture and a place where old songs are still part of daily life. This province is a long and beautiful journey through the highest and greenest part of the south.
Smolyan (province) highlights
- Wonderful Bridges form giant natural stone arches in the forest that are truly massive in size. Walk under the high rock ceilings and see the small river that carved the stone over time. Visit one of the most famous natural wonders found in the southern mountain range.
- Devil’s Throat Cave drops a huge waterfall into a dark and deep pit inside a massive mountain hall. Climb the many stairs to see the mist and hear the loud sound of the rushing water. Explore a place of many myths that features a very grand and dark interior space.
- Yagodina Cave stretches for miles with stone pearls and delicate rock curtains on the white walls. Walk through many halls to see a prehistoric home located right at the cave entrance. Drive through a narrow and beautiful gorge to reach this magical underground world.
- Eagle’s Eye View stands as a glass platform on a cliff edge high above a deep mountain gorge. Take a jeep to the top to see the mountains stretching all the way to the southern border. Experience an exciting spot for those who want to see the world from a very high place.
- Shiroka Laka exists as a village of white houses famous for bagpipes and old folk songs. Walk the stone bridges and see the school where the local music is kept alive today. View the unique style of building that is classic for the people of the southern mountains.
- Smolyan Lakes form a string of blue pools scattered among the high pine forests like hidden gems. Park the car and walk the easy path to see the reflection of the tall trees in the water. Enjoy a peaceful spot for a walk and a picnic in the fresh and cold mountain air.
- Pamporovo Resort offers a mountain base with roads winding through green peaks and thick pine woods. Drive through the soft hills of the south in any season to see the beautiful landscape. Take a lift to the TV tower for a panoramic view of the entire mountain range.
- Uhlovitsa Cave requires a steep climb to reach a world of beautiful white coral shapes inside the rock. See the small lakes and stone flows inside one of the oldest caves found in the area. View the river valley and the green hills from the entrance before you head inside.
- Trigrad Gorge provides a narrow road between vertical rock walls that seem to touch the sky above. Drive next to the rushing river in one of the most exciting routes found in the country. Feel the scale of the cliffs which make the road feel like a secret mountain tunnel.
- Momchilovtsi Village offers a quiet mountain spot famous for healthy yogurt and fresh alpine air. Explore the small chapels on the hills and enjoy the local hospitality of the mountain people. Stay in this village to experience the real life of the southern mountains in the sun.
The local Four
History of Smolyan (province)
Smolyan is the Soul of the Rhodopes. This is the mythical home of Orpheus, and the history of the province is inseparable from the ancient Thracian tribes who lived in these deep forests. The Devil Throat Cave in the Trigrad Gorge is legendary as the site where Orpheus descended into the Underworld. The region remained isolated for centuries, preserving a unique highland culture of stone architecture, bagpipes, and ancient folklore.
The province features the Wonderful Bridges, massive natural stone arches formed by an ancient river that collapsed into a cave. The medieval history of the region is written in the stone bridges and high altitude watchtowers that guarded the routes to the Aegean. The village of Shiroka Laka is a national architectural reserve, famous for its music school and the Bulgarian Baroque houses that cling to the steep mountain slopes.
A road trip through Smolyan is a drive through the Green Heart of Bulgaria. You will navigate the hair raising Trigrad and Buynovo Gorges, visit the glass viewing platform at Eagle Eye, and see the Smolyan Lakes. From the ski slopes of Pamporovo to the astronomical observatory at Rozhen, the province is a place where the stars feel closer and the history is as deep as the mountain canyons.