SMOLYAN

formerly (until 1934) Pashmakli, town, southern Bulgaria, on the Cherna River in the southeastern Rhodope Mountains. Its elevation, 3,300 feet (1,000 m), makes it the highest town in Bulgaria. It is a local agricultural centre, with a timber industry and, more recently, mining. It is picturesquely located among forests, lakes, and highlands. Pop. (1986 est.) 31,571.