Few towns in Bulgaria are as bound up with their water as Kyustendil. Roman Pautalia had a large asclepion — a healing complex devoted to the god of medicine — and the springs in the centre come out at about 74 °C. Today three baths from three different eras stand within a few blocks.

Chifte Banya — the big town bath

Chifte Banya was finished in 1913 to a design by the architect Hristo Kovachevski, on the foundations of an Ottoman hammam that itself sits on part of the Roman asclepion. Because the water is too hot, the bath has its own cooling system: the water first rests in a tank behind the building and then flows into the pools. Inside are men's and women's sections with showers, basins and pools at different temperatures, cabins with tubs, and massage upstairs. The building needs restoration but is clean, and the garden in front is one of the prettiest in town.

Alay Banya — bring a swimsuit

Alay Banya, which locals call “the Soldiers' Bath”, stands on the site of a Turkish bath and has looked as it does since 1928. There are no men's and women's sections here — it runs as a recovery centre with a pool, sauna and massage, so bring a swimsuit, flip-flops and a towel. It uses the same water as the Dervish Bath.

The Dervish Bath — the monument

The Dervish Bath was built in 1566 and worked for more than 400 years. It is closed for bathing now, but worth seeing from outside: the octagonal domed bathing hall, the brick inscriptions with the years of its repairs, and the niche on the north wall where candles were lit — an echo of the ancient cult of Asclepius. The Kaya Bey Mosque and the Dervish Fountain are close by.

Tips

  • For a classic bath without a swimsuit, go to Chifte Banya. With friends of both sexes, go to Alay Banya.
  • Kyustendil's water is hot. Start in the cooler pool and do not stay long in the hottest.
  • Combine the bath with a walk to the remains of the asclepion and the Hisarlaka fortress above the town.