In the village of Garmen, near the town of Gotse Delchev, ancient remnants can virtually be seen at every turn. It is where the late antiquity settlement of Nicopolis ad Nestum was. It is considered to have been founded on a Thracian settlement in 106 AD by the Roman emperor Trajan. His victory over the Dacian led to the establishment of the settlement, hence the name of the village Nicopolis – meaning in translation the City of Victory. Nicopolis quickly flourished and reached its zenith in the period between the 2^nd and 6^th centuries AD. The town even issued its own coins. The first town’s demise immediately followed the boom years, however the village rose again to prosperity in the Middle Ages and finally ceased to exist in the 18th century.

Nicopolis ad Nestum is the only ancient Roman city preserved in the Rhodope Mountains and one of the few remaining in Bulgaria. 280 meter-long walls, tombs, foundations of buildings with various purposes and close to the village - two early Christina basilicas from the 4^th century were discovered. Many gold and silver coins were excavated, as well as jewelry, ceramics, bronze and glass vessels and many more. Some of them are on display at the museum of Gotse Delchev.