The resort is named after a female character from a tale by Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov.
Notable natives include politician Petar Gudev (1862–1932), officer Radko Dimitriev (1859–1918) and Shibil, a 19th-century Turkish Roma brigand who served as Yordan Yovkov's prototype for a hajduk character, as well as possibly the noted socialist Christian Rakovsky (1873–1941).
Born in the village of Zheravna, Yovkov studied at First Sofia Men’s High School, from which he graduated in 1900 with honours, and became a teacher.
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"Albena" (1962) - libretto Peter Filchev (after the drama of Yordan Yovkov) and "Millionaire" (1965) were made into operas by Parashkev Hadjiev.
Popular sights in the village include the museum house of the merchant Rusi Chorbadzhi from the early 18th century, the Church of St Nicholas inaugurated in 1834 and housing icons from the 18th and early 19th century, the museum house of the noted writer Yordan Yovkov born in 1880, the art gallery occupying the old class school and the museum house of the educator Sava Filaterov.