Smolyan town information
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Location and historyThe town of Smolyan is settled in the very heart of the Rhodope Mountain. The closest big city is the city of Plovdiv. Starting from there you travel on a picturesque and winding road to reach the welcoming town of Smolyan where you can forget your exhaustion. Located in the heart of the mountain and at the same time being an administrative center the town of Smolyan plays an important role in the development of the whole area. The settlement is situated 260 km South-East of Sofia, 100 km South of Plovdiv (the second biggest city in Bulgaria with an international airport) and 10 km South of Pamporovo ski resort. The town of Smolyan is located in the central part of the Rhodope Mountains about 800-1000 meters above the sea level. It spreads over 879 sq. km., 67% of which is covered with conifer forests. Nowadays Smolyan, Raikovo and Ustovo are the biggest quarters of Smolyan town, populated with around 32 000 people. A large number of interesting natural sights and handmade crafts could be seen in the three residential districts. The town combines ancient and modern history. It will enchant you with a fantastic combination of old-fashioned and modern architecture, pleasant delightful linden fragrance in the beginning of the summer, with the colorful autumn magic and the white quietness of the winter season. If you like comfort of the city lifestyle and at the same time you are keen on skiing – Smolyan is the perfect place for your holiday. Among the majestic mountain uplands there are evergreen woods and colored meadows even in the town itself. Nestled among the woods, as scattered pieces of crystal sparkle you can see Smolan Lakes – each of them with its own appearance and charm. There are a lot of places to visit, where you could taste the traditional Rhodopean and Bulgarian dishes, to listen and see the popular Rhodopean songs and dances. A man feels himself great and small, strong and weak, captivated by emotions and ready to feel the mountain pulse. The public transportation network in the municipality is serviced by 17 transport companies with 86 buses and 180 taxi cars. The town itself together with it’s near by villages are very attractive for thousands of tourists both seasons – winter and summer. HistoryAccording to archaeological evidence, the area around Smolyan was first inhabited in the 2nd-1st millennium BC. It bares its name from the Slavic tribe of the Smolyani that settled in the region in the 7th century. Part of the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires during the Middle Ages, it was ruled by the 14th-century Bulgarian feudal lord Momchil along with the whole Rhodopes for a while before being entirely subjugated by the Ottoman Empire. Smolyan remained under Ottoman rule for five centuries, a township of the Ottoman Komotini (Gümülcine) sanjak in Edirne vilayet between 1867 and 1912. It was known in Ottoman Turkish as Paşmaklı or Ahiçelebi. The area was occupied by the 21st Sredna Gora Regiment led by Vladimir Serafimov in 1912, during the First Balkan War. The modern town of Smolyan was formed by the merger of three existing villages Ustovo, Raykovo and Ezerovo in 1960. Investments and development of the real estate marketImportant precondition for the town’s economic progress is the fact that Smolyan is the main administrative center in this area. Smolyan district includes the following municipalities: Smolyan, Devin, Chepelare, Madan, Rudozem, Nedelino, Banite and Borino. Smolyan Municipality is the biggest one. Its development plan foresees the following actions:- Formation of better business conditions – quick administrative procedures, alleviation when issuing permissions and licenses, patent taxes concessions suggestions;- Realization of the projects related with:• Smolyan town gasification;• Sport and Tourist Center “Perelik”;• Water purifying plants and equipment • Construction of third road-bed on the Assenovgrad-Smolyan road ІІ86• Construction of the road to Bulgarian-Greek border between the settlements Rudozem and Ksanti;• Completion of the main encircling road next to the Smolyan town.The project related to the construction of the new road to the new Bulgarian - Greek border station between Rudozem and Ksanti is part of Financial Memorandum 2003 under PHARE Program which arranges the collaboration between the republics of Bulgaria and Greece. The negotiations between the building contractor and the road construction supervision determine the total price of the building contract to be 6 949 988.65 euro. Financial support of 4 915 845.63 euro is provided by the EU PHARE program and there is a national financial support of 2 034 143.02 euro. A big project, called “Perelik”, plans to connect the peak with the same name with Pamporovo and with Mechi chal peak located North-East in Chepelare region. The project will be completed on 1300 to 2191 meters above sea level, where the snow cover stays 45 days longer than in Pamporovo. The resort will include a system of ski tracks, ski equipment, artificial snow machines, 24 lift routes, shelters and fortifying stations on the ski tracks, ski wardrobes, spacious and comfortable covered parking lots, resting places, sport and entertaining, as well as hotels. The complex offers excellent natural conditions for practicing both winter ski tourism and summer recreational tourism (tracking, mountain cycling, caving, tennis, swimming). The subsequent project stage foresees the construction of a congress center and a golf course with only one purpose - to shorten the period of off season tourist visits and effective usage of “STC Perelik” capacity. The tracks will be constructed according to the most modern standards and their total length will be about 55 km. EconomicsTourism, mining, timber, machine and textile industries and livestock rising are the major industries in the municipality. The main vegetables grown in the region are potatoes (about 30% of the national production), also crops such as rye and barley. Raising sheep, pigs and cattle is of greater importance for the farming in this area.The economic activity in the main economic sectors in Smolyan municipality distributes as follows:• Manufacture -37.6%• Trading and services 0.9%• Construction 8.2%• Agriculture and livestock breeding 4.3%• Hotels and restaurants 3.9%Smolyan Municipality aims to produce mainly bio products. Local administration foresees 70% of its budget to be used for supporting tourism, improving the infrastructure, and for all needed activities, which refer to the improvement of the region appearance. Property market in the region – history, facts, expectationsBefore the years 2003-2004 property market in Smolyan district was slow. This refers to the residential properties, as well plots of land. However, the property market boom in Bulgaria did not miss the Rhodope area. About three years ago the prices of luxurious apartment complexes in the area around the town of Smolyan reached the level of the prices of the residential properties in the Bulgarian big cities. This trend is caused by the low standard of construction and the constantly rising property demand throughout the last 2 years. That kind of interest was shown mainly from well-off Bulgarian citizens, who were willing to invest in residences in the central part of Smolyan town and to use them as a place, where they could spend their ski holiday or just to rent their property out during the winter season. The nature all around, Pamporovo ski resort and the possibility for organizing individual tourist walks are the basic reasons for this interest. In the years of 2004 and 2005 the average prices of the residential properties increased with 62.7%. The apartment’s average price is 275 euros per sq. m. and 545 euros per sq. m. is the average house price.Smolyan’s closeness to Greece gives a positive influence over the property prices and over the property rental income in the region. Moreover the project for the construction of second ski complex “Perelik” is a power of attraction for more and more tourists, visitors and investors, of course. The crowded winter resorts in the other parts of the country were the reason investors were motivated to focus their attention to the potential of the Rhodopes – one of the preferable places for winter relaxation. For the period 2004 - 2005 Pamporovo complex attendance has increased with 30%; there were built new hotels with a capacity more than 1000 people. During this period there were investments for over 55 million euro. The foreign interest in old stone Rhodopean houses in the near-by villages, built in accordance to the traditional Rhodopean style became the reason local people to welcome their new foreign neighbors. There are properties of that kind offered for sale and their prices vary round 100-160 euro per sq. m. Such properties usual features are beautiful panorama and spacious yard. The newly built houses in the region cost about 1100 euro per sq. m. The increasing interest of western buyers in Pamporovo and the region during the last year led to increase of the property prices with 20%, as they became similar like the property prices in our capital city. The apartment prices in the ski resort vary round 800-1400 euro per sq. m. the most expensive apartment price in Pamporovo is 1600 euros per sq. m. and the average price in this segment is about 1000 euros per sq. m.All the deals with properties in the winter resort Pamporovo reflected the property prices in Smolyan district. As a result Smolyan became one of the towns, where the biggest rise in the property prices was registered – 33.5% for 2006.There is an analogous trend with the land market in the region. Just 2-3 years ago enormous plots of agricultural land were still purchased at a knock out price. Nowadays the prices are still varying, but on higher levels. Plot of regulated land near Pamporovo could be bought for 38-205 euros per sq. m., and unregulated plot in the same area is 12-132 euro per sq. m. In the other country sides of the district the prices are determined in accordance to plots advantages and characteristics, as well as its proximity to the resort. You can still find out plots of agricultural land and pasture grounds in exchange for 12-25 euros per sq. m. Property agents expect some stability of land prices, as the market principle demand/supply will naturally balance the prices. 20 times rise in the price of land was recorded for plots located near the Greek border. It is because of the forthcoming border checkpoint – Rudozem. Before this post starts working, prices of unregulated plots of land vary from 13 to 15 euro per sq. m. Construction of the road connecting Zlatograd (Golden town) with Termes began with high intensity. The opening of these two border checkpoints and the third one local near the village of Gorna Arda will create conditions for more active tourism in Smolyan Municipality, and this will surely have an effect on border property prices. Pamporovo ski resort – one of the most southern European ski complexes is located only round 10 km far from Smolyan town. Winter season here is fairy and gives an opportunity for winter sports practicing and great number of different attractions. The summer here is full of entertainment – the mountain provides amusements and entertainments of every sort and kind for those of you, who are keen on our door activities. The region is famous with the longevity of the local people who live here. Typical for this region are the following health features: mountain air breeze circulation, negative air ionization, high biological UV area, air with low microbe quantity, high clean air intensity.There are a lot of perspectives in front of this part of Rhodopes. Forthcoming construction of several significant mega projects (such as STC “Perelik”, “Gela”, etc.) is main characteristic of the region. The infrastructure will be improved in short time. The nearest airport is Plovdiv airport and at present serves visitors mainly with charter flight, but there are plans the airport to serve general flights soon. The flight duration to the UK is approximately 3 and a half hrs. The closeness to Greece is a good advantage, too. The construction of an airport near Smolyan and three-bed motorway 100 km long connecting “Trakia” motorway with the town of Smolyan is planned to be completed. TourismTourism is not only a priority, but a perspectives source, which the representatives of the local administration associate with the infrastructure, investments and employment in the municipality. According to them the region will be developing mainly in this sphere, because there are enough interesting places, which will attract tourists in the region. Next year the municipality will have the following aims:• Stage by stage realization of the tourist project “Perelik”;• Establishing of tourist product “Orpheus’ Mountain” – combining customs, manners, ethno culture, historical heritage, natural forms;• Building a network of tourist information centers located in the bigger settlements. • Improving the infrastructure to the places of interest; • Realization of tourist projects financed by national and international EU programs;• Popularizing the natural phenomena such as “mursalski” tea, the air with negative ionization, Smolyan Lakes and all caves in the vicinity suitable for tourist attractions;• Developing of a fishing tourism; • Advertising the tourist sites and products of Smolyan Municipality. Last years, in order to attract more tourists the municipality of Smolyan diversified its offers for tourism in the area. Some of the newest tourist attractions in the region are realized with the financial support of EU program PHARE. Among them are the recently opened for tourists information centers located in close proximity to the rock phenomena “Wonderful Bridges” and the National astronomic observatory in Rozhen Peak, as well as the information center in village Gela. From this mountain village, which is frequent host of bag-pipe overplaying, starts a newly created eco-trail, financed by PHARE program. In the Rhodope mountain Christians and Muslims have lived together for centuries in peace and understanding. In many villages there are both a church and a mosque. It is well worth crossing the mountain and visiting the unique preserved temples which are part of the local cultural and historical heritage which dates more than 1000 years ago.Here one still can find untouched and unvisited places – beautiful, full of astonishing diversity of wild species. The region is rich with Christian temples dated back from the period of the early ages, medieval basilicas, ancient chapels, churches and monasteries from the Bulgarian Revival, scattered throughout the Rhodopes and visited by thousands disciples and tourists, enveloped by myths and legends. There still could be found vessels, adornments, and implements, dug into the earth by our ancestors. Today historians, restorers, archeologists and thousands of tourists from the country and abroad show great interest in these sanctuaries. Sports facilitiesAll kind of sports facilities are constructed on the territory of Smolyan Municipality. The most popular are skiing and snowboarding facilities in Pamporovo ski center and the ski centers of the smaller settlements in the vicinity. Here you can became a member of some of the clubs for recreation such as hiking, caving, summer and ski orientation, rock climbing, swimming, football, basketball, etc.For those of you, who are keen on golf, there is a project for a golf course in the project STC ”Perelik”. Places of interestSmolyan town gives a chance to its guests to visit the biggest planetarium on the Balkans. Periodically thematic expositions are arranged in the Historical Museum in the town. One of the newest attractions is the traditional Rhodopean clothes review, which will be organized if you have placed a preliminary request to the Regional Historical Museum in Smolyan. The models are amateurs, members in the local cultural club. Museum’s collection is rich enough – more than 170 authentic completed suits. Gaining knowledge of the Rhodopean way of living and manners could be a very exiting experience for you. The straggled among the mountain slopes villages are with houses older than 200 years, entirely made of stone and wood. Some of the houses have been announced for architectural reserves. There is an intact neighborhood in the district main town, where you can see old-time houses-museums, which owners were Smolyan men of note.If you go out for a walk through the town you will see man-made sculptures, as well as beautiful natural forms. In the town you can also listen to the magic sounds of the Bulgarian folklore – the youth folklore ensemble comprises of singers and musicians from all ages and they fascinate people all over the world with their folk art. Ever present part of each performance is the sound of the traditional “kaba” – bagpipe.In the center of the main district town all administrative buildings are stacked up in a spot and they will surely charm you with their architecture. Except for them the central street is set with big number of small shops and cafes, where your can walk and meeting friends is always pleasant and interesting. In Smolyan town you can easily find restaurants, where you will be served delicious dishes in a typical atmosphere. A lot of family restaurants and places for entertaining offer traditional Rhodopean dishes, to the sounds of the authentic folklore songs, accompanied with bagpipe. There is something we have no doubt about and it is: once you have visited these places, you can not stay indifferent and will comeback here over and over again.
Source: www.bgp.bg |
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