Sights

Preserved whole architectural ensembles due to which the village was pronounced as the only one of its kind in Bulgaria, being an architectural-folklore and Ethnographic reservation.

Planetarium in Smolyan - since it opened in 1975, it has been visited by 2 500 000 people so far. In its star room, more than 50 programs (sessions) are presented. Since 1975, 7 solar and 15 moon eclipses have been photographed in the Planetarium. Some of the pictures are unique for Bulgaria.

The St. Visarion Smolenski orthodox temple is the biggest newly built church in Bulgaria in the 21st century (in 2006), a symbol of the union among the three localities Ustovo, Raykovo, and Smolyan.

Sveta Troitsa Church – the oldest temple in the Chepino hollow. It was built over the foundations of an old stone church in 1816.

Bachkovo Monastery — the second biggest monastery in Bulgaria still in operation, which has turned into the most visited tourist site in the Rhodopes. During the years after its establishment in 1083, it was a centre of the cultural flourishing and a centuries-old stronghold, which had preserved the Bulgarian national feeling. The monastery keeps the "Miracle icon" of the God's Mother.

Tatul Thracian Sanctuary  — the sanctuary of the gods. Besides a sanctuary for sacrifices to the ancient Thracian deities, this monument has also been a centre for observation of the sunrise and sunset on certain days of the year — on the day of winter solstice, for instance, when at sunrise the Sun fell in the centre of a special rock crevice.

Villa Armira — it is the best preserved villa from the Roman age located in Bulgaria.

The Devil's Bridge is the biggest and most magnificent bridge in the Rhodopes —  an emblem of Ardino municipality and one of the achievements of the Medieval construction art of Bulgaria, because of both its amazing architectural elegance, and its engineering and technical marvel.

The Yagodinska Cave is one of the most visited caves in Bulgaria due to its galleries full of diverse cave formations. It can be reached via a road passing through the unique Buynovsko Gorge. The total length of the galleries in the cave exceeds eight kilometres which ranks it among the longest caves in the country. 

 The Trigrad Gorge — it is a deep ravine along the Trigradska River leading to the entrance of the Devil's Throat cave and the village of Trigrad.

The Arda River meanders — the most picturesque river curves of Arda are located in the tail of Kardzhali Dam and near the town of Madzharovo.

Narrow-gauge railroad line Septemvri-Dobrinishte — the only one preserved in Bulgaria. It is 125 km long. It starts from the Thracian lowland, passes through the Rhodopes and ends in the foot of Pirin, while passing through 35 tunnels, 359 bridges and culverts, 26 train stations and stops. It connects the valleys of the Mesta and Maritsa rivers. This line includes also the highest railroad station on the Balkans — Avramovo /1267 m/. In 2020, the Guardian magazine ranked it among the 10 most preferred railroad routes in the world.

ROZHEN National Astronomy Observatory — the observatory is one of the five biggest European observational complexes.

Snezhanka Mount – the crown jewel of tourism in the Rhodopes. It is printed on cards bought by the tourists as souvenirs. It is also recognizable for the television tower, the terrace of which offers a unique panoramic view in all directions.