Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(bul Bulgaria 11; 24hr)
Sleepy Smolyan's best entertainment spot, the Venus is popu-
lar at night, and serves good food. There's a wi-fi hot spot, too.
Information
Regional Association of Rhodope Municipalities
( 62 056; bul Bulgaria 14)
Repres-
ents the 20 local districts. Has arts and crafts information and organises tours or guides.
Tourist Office
( 62 530;
www.smolyan.com
; bul Bulgaria 5; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri)
The major Rodopi-villages tourism office; a good source of info for Smolyan and nearby
towns and outdoor activities.
Getting There & Away
Most buses to/from Smolyan use the
main bus station
( 63 104; bul Bulgaria)
at Smo-
lyan's western end. Four daily buses serve Sofia (28 lv, 3½ hours) and hourly buses serve
Plovdiv (17 lv, 2½ to three hours), via Chepelare (6 lv, one hour) and Pamporovo (4 lv, 30
minutes). From this station, buses also serve Shiroka Lûka and Devin (8 lv, 90 minutes,
three to four daily), for Trigrad and Yagodina Caves.
From near the station, local buses 2 and 3 (0.80 lv, every 20 minutes) serve the centre.
Walk left out of the station and turn left up a double set of stairs; after 50m, you'll see the
stop on the left. The taxi rank is further down the street. By taxi, it's around 3 lv to the
tourist office.
Alternatively, if you're heading out on the Smolyan-Pamporovo-Chepelare-Plovdiv
road, minibuses go from Hotel Smolyan's car park. They leave every hour on the hour
between 8am and 5pm.
Devin
03041
One of Bulgaria's best spa towns, placid Devin is somewhat dated, though it does offer
solitude, services and one or two cafe-bars. Still, it's the kind of place where unworried
mothers leave their baby carriages outside the shop while browsing, and the only noise
you'll hear at night is the far-off baying of hounds.
Devin's famous for producing Bulgaria's premier brand of bottled mineral water, and
for its balneological resort; indeed, plenty of wealthy Sofians (driven in black Jeeps with
