Mineral Springs and Spa

Hot mineral water at 72°C surfaces throughout Sandanski's town centre from two thermal zones, fed by springs from the Pirin massif above. The water is slightly mineralised and slightly radioactive, and has been used for bathing and drinking cures since at least Roman times. The modern town organises this heritage into spa hotels and public balneological facilities, most of them built in the Soviet era and varying in quality from functional to genuinely comfortable.

The central park has a free public fountain where you can drink the mineral water, which tastes faintly sulphurous and takes some getting used to. The more serious bathing facilities — pools, therapeutic baths, mineral water pools — are attached to the larger spa hotels on the edge of the park. Day use is generally available to non-residents.

things to do sight
A story
Sandanski's mineral water surfaces at about 72°C and has to be cooled before use. It's slightly radioactive — not dangerously, but enough that the water has been the subject of medical research since the early 20th century. Bulgarian and Soviet-era studies found it effective for treating chronic respiratory conditions, particularly bronchial asthma, which is why during the Communist period Sandanski became a destination for asthmatic children from across the Eastern Bloc.