Devin

Devin is a small spa town at the western edge of the Rhodopes, on the River Vacha, known for its mineral springs and as the gateway to the Trigrad and Buynovo gorges. The town itself is modest, but the hot mineral springs that have given it its character attract Bulgarians seeking thermal bathing, and the spa hotels along the river offer relatively affordable hydrotherapy treatments.

The main reason to visit Devin is the landscape surrounding it. The Trigrad Gorge is 15 kilometres to the south, and the Buynovo Gorge — another dramatic limestone canyon, less visited than Trigrad — is accessible on a marked hiking trail from the town. The drive from Devin into the gorges is one of the finest scenic roads in the Rhodopes, passing through dense forest and along river banks of extraordinary clarity.

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A story
Devin mineral water — bottled at the source — has been Bulgaria's best-known mineral water brand since the communist era, and the spring that feeds it emerges from the karst limestone at a constant temperature of 37°C. The spa complex built around the springs in the 1970s is now one of the busiest in Bulgaria, still capitalising on the communist-era enthusiasm for hydrobalneotherapy.