The historical museum in the town of Smolyan is the oldest and the largest in the Middle Rhodopes. It was founded in 1935 with the aim of searching, studying, preserving and popularizing the unique in its artistic value and historical significance
heritage of the population living in the central part of the Rhodope massif.
The museum is housed in a specially built building, which offers a panoramic view not only of the old and new Smolyan, but also of the Perelik, Karlak and Sokolitsa peaks sung in the Rhodope songs. The exhibition halls of the museum are located on an area of nearly 2,000 square meters on four levels. Over the years, the museum has gathered rich and diverse collections of museum objects, a significant part of which are unique.
In the museum, the visitor has the opportunity to experience an exciting encounter with one of the typical and ancient customs in the mountains – the kukers.
In addition to all this, upon request, the museum team is ready to demonstrate and recreate the old customs, ritual practices and traditional skills of the people of Rhodope.
From March 1, 2002, a representative exhibition of the unique collection of orders and medals of the Bulgarian award system – royal, regent and republican issues – can be seen in the museum. They are a donation from o.z. Col. Raycho Harbaliev for his hometown of Smolyan. A visit to the Historical Museum in the town of Smolyan is the fastest way to get to know the thousand-year history of the Middle Rhodopes, preserved and transmitted over the centuries and preserved for the future.
Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday
May – September: 09:00 – 18:00
October – April: 09:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 17:00
Entrance fees:
adults – 5.00 BGN.
students and pensioners – 2.00 BGN.
Guided talk (overview in Bulgarian) – 10.00 BGN.
Guided talk (overview in Bulgarian with translation) – 15.00 BGN.
