Madan is a town in Southern Bulgaria, part of Smolyan Region. The town is an administrative center of the municipality of Madan.

There is a village with the same name located in municipality Boychinovtsi, Montana Region.

The town of Madan is located 30 km southeast of the regional city Smolyan, 122 km south of Plovdiv, 271 km southeast of the capital Sofia. There is regular bus transport.

Madan is mountain town with population of around 6757 people. Situated at 851 meters altitude in the southeast part of West Rhodope on the two shores of Madanska river.

CLIMATE

The region is in the transitional continental climatic region. Winter is long but mild with heavy snow. The average monthly temperature for January varies between 7C and 2C. The snow covering the high ridges is maintained until May which creates good conditions for practising winter sports. Summer is cool as the highest daily temperatures for June are 18C - 19C.

HISTORY

Madan is an old mining village. The lead ore extraction in this region started in the 4th -5th century B.C. from the Thracian tribe Coelaletae. A number of different mining equipment from the Middle ages was found in the old mine galleries. During the socialism period Madan was the town with the highest average wage in Bulgaria. At that time 100 % of the the public housing and all public buildings were built.

ECONOMY

The main sector in the economy is ore extraction. More than 600 miners and specialists work in the mines now. Metal processing is presented by an Mechanic plant. It offers lathe-cutting details of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, designing, preparing and installing PVC joinery. Some firms in the sphere of chemical industry, mine and wood construction also function in the region. Clothing industry is flourishing in the previous years.
There are 3 banks in the town.

HEALTH CARE

General hospital "Prof. Dr Konstantin Chilov" is providing medical services to the population in Madan municipality as well as the neighbouring municipalities. The hospital has its Emergency Room. Madan has also a medical center for specialized advisory and screening.
Dental services are offered by 8 dentists. General practising doctors are 12, 9 of them occupied and the other 3 on free practice.

The only one hospice in the Region of Smolyan is located in Madan.

EDUCATION

Madan has one secondary, one primary and one vocational school. The kindergarten is one, too.

CULTURE INSTITUTIONS

There is a Museum of mining and ore extraction in the town founded in 1957. The museum presents the history of ore extraction in Madan region. The crystal hall "Rhodope Crystal" is unique by its type - it is member of the International Association of Mineralogical Museums.
Madan has also a library, a community center, three mosques and one Orthodox church.

TOURISM

In the region of the town of Madan you can visit:

- Cave-museum "Sharenka". This is the first cave in Bulgaria that became a museum. It is opened in 2008. The collection turns the visitors back to the times of the Iron Age. 
- The locality of "Gubata" ("The Mushroom") - solid rock with a little cave in which parts of ceramics of different ages were discovered. Following the path on the solid rock, you can go to the Thracian mine in which primitive tools for ore extraction and lamps made of clay were discovered.
- The rock "Rimpala" is very close, 50 meters high, resembling a man with a mantle. Behind it you can find ruins if ancient town with signs of clay plumbing. 
- The locality of "Kichikaya" is an ancient pre-Bulgarian fortress conquered by the Romans later. Old stone walls of buildings and of the fortress' wall are still kept. The well deep 9 meters down in the rock is also kept.
- A 28 km long route through the ridge of the mountain between the huts "Ray" and "Vurtolya" is appropriate for motorcycling and cycling, races and panorama walk. A number of attractive solid rocks are appropriate for beginners and experienced climbers.

There are some family-owned hotels in Madan and the beautiful guest houses are dispersed all around the region and are ready to entertain guests from all around the world. 

Sources: http://www.madan-bg.com  http://bg.wikipedia.org
Photos: Internet