Location
The Smolyan municipality is situated in the central part of the Rhodope Mountains upon a territory of 879 sq. m, 67% of which are covered with age-old coniferous forests. The Town of Smolyan (altitude above sea level between 800 and 1000 m) occupies the larger part of the valley extension of the Cherna River, known as the Smolyan Hollow. The town is surrounded with green meadows and age-old forests. The three large districts - Smolyan, Raikovo and Oystovo - are situated along the two river banks in the west-east direction. The mountain town combines modern construction with traditional Rhodope architecture.
The municipality is 90 km away from Plovdiv. It borders the Republic of Greece to the south, the municipalities of Roudozem, Madan and Banite to the east, the Laki and Chepelare municipalities to the north and Devin to the west.

History
The earliest archaeological evidence from the Smolyan municipality's region dates from the end of the Bronze Age - c. 13 BC. During the following two millennia the antique authors perceived the Rhodopes as a sacred Thracian mountain, the birthplace of Orpheus. The researched sanctuaries (the Kom summit), mound necropolises (the village of Gela) and unique flat necropolis (the village of Stoikite) date from that era.
C. 4-5 AD was the time when the Rhodope Thracians were converted to Christianity, to which testify many early basilicas (c. 7-9), and the Bulgarian nationality was in the process of forming in the region.
After the fall of the Bulgarian kingdom under Ottoman rule, The Middle Rhodope area was granted with a sultan's decree from 1519 to the court physician Aha Chelebi, for which reason that lands were known as Ahachelebi. The settlement was mentioned with the name Ezerovo in Ottoman documents from c. 17, and later was renamed to Bashmakla. Later on the transcription of the name changed it to Pashmakla or Pashmakli. That name was preserved up to 1934.
On 17 January 1878 the Cossack cavalry brigade of General Cherevin entered triumphantly the town. Seven months later the Berlin Treaty (01.08. 1978) liquidated the Bulgaria of the San Stefano Treaty.
The Smolyan region remained within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire up to 1912. 34 years after the National Liberation of Bulgaria, during the First Balkan War of 1912, the region was liberated. The 21st Sredna Gora infantry regiment under the command of Colonel Vladimir Serafimov liberated the town of Smolyan on 13 October 1912, and on 21 October the battles on the Kavgajik summit (now Srednogorets) were led, which determined the victorious end of the military operations in the region.

Recreation and Tourism
The favourable climatic conditions, the variety of the plant and the animal world, the preserved traditions, customs and architecture are factors favouring the development of international tourism.
The renowned resort Pamporovo with an excellent hotel base, numerous holiday homes, ski-runs and attractions is10 km away from Smolyan.

Source: bulgaria.domino.bg