Banya

Location: Balneology resort Banya is situated at the foot of Sashtinska Sredna Gora Mountain in Stryamska valley amid a wide lovely park. It is about 160 km east of Sofia, 47 km north of Plovdiv and 12 km south of Karlovo. The town is also known as Karlovo Mineral Baths.

Climate: The climate in the region is temperate continental and the annual average temperature is 11.5º C. The summer is temperate hot and the winter is mild. The snow coverage in the resorts lasts about 30 days. September and October are the driest months in the year. This time is also the most favourable period for healing of cordial diseases.

History: The history of the town is closely related to the existence of the mineral springs in the region. Traces of Thracian settlements and many Thracian mounds were found in the vicinities of the town. During the middle ages there was a small settlement that continued exhisting after the Ottoman Invasion. By the end of the 15th century Banya was mentioned as a settlement which had developed and acquired certain economic stability. The mineral springs kept their importance to the local inhabitants and in the middle of 19th century the citizens of near by town of Karlovo built a road to the springs through the swamps, that existed those days. Many people from the surrounding villages moved in Banya after the Liberation in 1878. In 1921 Karlovski Bani, Narechenski Bany and Hissar were declared resort sites. Bulgarian ruler Tsar Boris III; came in Banya in 1927 for healing procedures. He felt a relief of his disease and in 1929 Tsarska Banya (King Bath), was built specially for him. In 1986 the settlement acquired the status of a national resort and in 2002 it was declared a town.

Landmarks: The estate of Tsar Boris III; (Tsarska Banya) can be visited on a preliminary demand. It is located in the northern part of the town, built in the Revival Period Bulgarian architectural style. Rozova Dolina (Rose Valley) Winery has been taking care of the estate. The winery is famous far beyond the borders of Bulgaria with its wines and has the right to use the coat-of-arms of Tsar Simeon II on the labels of the bottles. The community centre in the centre of the town and the church "St. St. Constantine and Helena" are also places of interest.

Balneology: There are 10 mineral springs in the resort. The waters are suitable for the treatment of rheumatism, functional disorders of the nervous system, gynecological diseases and high and low blood pressure. There is a beach and 3 mineral water pools in the resort.

Photos from Banya (Karlovo)