Description of the attraction
The public central mineral baths in Sofia are located in the city's historic center, at the end of the busy tourist highway - Vitosha Boulevard. The building of the mineral baths stands near the Halite market right behind the mosque. Due to the fact that the city is located in an area where there are about fifty different hydrothermal springs, baths were built here by both the Romans and the Turks throughout almost the entire history of the city. Sofia is the only capital in Europe where there are 8 different types of mineral water at once.
The construction of the Sofia Mineral Baths took seven years. The Berlin and London banks allocated loans especially for this project, a small part of the investments was made by the Bulgarian state treasury. The institution was opened in 1913, on May 1. The construction of the building of the mineral baths was carried out with the participation and under the supervision of the famous architect from Austria Friedrich Grunanger. The baths existed for more than seven decades, but in the late 1980s they were closed as unprofitable. At the same time, a project was being developed, according to which the central baths should be reorganized into a balneological center, next to it was the construction of a hotel. The project was approved, but it was not implemented.
Swimming pools, walls covered with mosaics, colored tiles have been preserved inside the building of the Sofia Baths. The building is distinguished by an elegant facade decoration, its appearance resembles a church building of the Middle Ages.
The waters on which the Sofia mineral baths were built have exceptional properties, they help in the treatment of diseases of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract, and also have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Mineral water can still be found in the vicinity of the baths - a specially equipped spring is located nearby, from which everyone can take water with them.
Sofia's central baths, as well as a mineral spring, are located on a busy tourist route and are one of the symbols of the Bulgarian capital.
