The town of Devin (6018 inhabitants, 710 m above the sea level) is situated on the two banks of Devinska River, in a small hilly gorge in the very heart of Rhodope Mountain. It is 196 km southeast from Sofia. The town is a well-known balneology resort. The region and the town itself are famous for the mineral springs. According to the specialists the mineral waters there cure different diseases.

     History

     Even during the Thracian period an ancient settlement and a sanctuary existed at the place. The ancient settlement was situated within the present boundaries of the town, on the left bank of the Vucha River and was then called Diove, meaning most probably a small hollow. The village was desolated with the attempts of the Turks to convert the Bulgarian population to Islam during the rule of Bayazid Sultan. Some of the inhabitants of the old village moved to the Vlas huts, where they laid the foundations of the present town. The municipality region covers an area of 524,025 decares with an average altitude of 400 m above the sea level. 

     The most ancient document, which mentions the name of Devin, is of Turkish origin and represents a list of cattle breeders from 1576. Other documents of the remote past of the settlement are missing – most probably they were destroyed during the two devastating fires, which burned almost everything to ashes in 1904-1912. The town was under Turkish rule until 1912 and two years before its liberation the Turks renamed it to Selimie. The present name of Devin was given to the town in 1923. In 1936 the town was renamed to Zdravets, yet this name was not kept for a long period, proving unpopular and was gradually forgotten. After 1912 many newcomers moved from the surrounding villages to Devin and thus they helped its economic growth.

     Landmarks

     There is no other town in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula with so many healing mineral springs. At the same time its microclimate is one of the healthiest climates at all – the rocky and green hills prevent the town from the strong and cold northwest winds. The proximity of the beautiful coniferous forests, the rivers, exuberant in trout and last but not least – the hospitality of the local mountaineers gives a final touch to this favorable picture. If you are in Devin you should not miss to see the town’s History Museum. It is in the central part of the town. There you will hear the great story of the town. You can also see St. Ioan Rilski Church. 

     Surroundings

     The architectural and ethnographic reserve Shiroka Laka is 22 km southeast from Devin. You will stand with bated breath in front of the beautiful Trigrad Gorge – a natural phenomenon, the well-laid out caves the Devil’s Throat and Yagodina. They are of great value for the Devin region, where tourists have a chance to take a look at the kingdom of this underworld and to reveal in unforgettable scenery. In Trigrad Yagodina karst region there are scores of unurbanized caves, such as Haramiiska, Kestenska, Orpheus' Hole and the other caves. Chairite protected site charms the visitors with fantastic landside lakes, meadows, spruce and pine woodland. Another phenomenon of Trigrad Gorge is the Devils' Throat Cave. It was formed after precipice of the land stratum. The native people tell that everything that comes into the cave, never comes out. 

     Transport

     The only public transport available in Devin is the bus transport. There is a regular bus to Pazardjik, Plovdiv, Smolyan, Pamporovo, Shiroka Laka.