Momina Banya in Hisarya: a 3.7 million renovation, a breakdown two weeks later and a second reopening

The municipal Momina Banya in Hisarya reopened in January 2026 following three years of renovation, closed two weeks later due to errors in the design and construction, and reopened at the end of March. What happened, and what lessons can be learnt from this story?

Momina Banya is one of the most important sites in the history of Bulgarian balneotherapy. It was at this spring in 1882 that the first chemical analysis of mineral water in Bulgaria was carried out, and the first bathhouse was opened in 1903 by Tsar Ferdinand. Today, it is the only public bathhouse in Hisarya that is run by the local council. Before the renovation, it had been in a state of disrepair and locked up for many years.

The Renovation

Hisarya Municipality restored the entire complex with a loan from the FLAG EAD fund. The renovation took around three years and cost approximately 3.7 million leva. The complex covers over 1,300 square metres and comprises five buildings: the old bathhouse, the Turkish bath, the Royal Bath, the water intake with the pumping station, and a service building. The oldest of these date from the 1920s and 1930s. The renovation covered everything from the roof of the old bathhouse to the equipment inside.

Open for two weeks

The baths opened in mid-January 2026, and the first visitors arrived over the weekend of 17 and 18 January. Problems became apparent right from the start: leaks in the pipes, incorrectly laid tiles and more serious deviations from the original plans.

On 1 February, the baths closed. Following an inspection of the electrical systems, pumps and ventilation, the local council announced that ‘design errors and discrepancies’ had been identified, requiring further technical adjustments. It announced that the baths would remain closed until everything had been rectified.

The Second Opening

The refurbishment was contracted on a ‘turnkey’ basis with a 10-year guarantee. The local council therefore announced that the defects would be rectified at the contractor’s expense, rather than using the council’s funds. After around six weeks of work, the baths reopened on 31 March 2026.

What this story shows

The good news is that the guarantee worked: the problems were identified quickly, the bathhouse closed rather than continuing to operate with defects, and it was repaired without the local authority having to pay a second time. Today, Momina Banya is once again one of the few functioning municipal baths in the country.

The awkward question is how a project costing millions could be opened with faults that were evident from the very first days. The local council has not publicly named either the designer or the contractor. Nor is it clear whether anyone has taken responsibility for the shortcomings, apart from the repairs carried out under warranty. For a project built with a public loan, this is information that residents and visitors have a right to know.

The New Momina Banya

A few steps away, in the upper part of the park, stands the New Momina Banya. It is a large spa complex from the 1970s with marble pools and water from the same spring, but it has been abandoned for nearly 20 years. The Old Baths demonstrated that the local council can restore a building that has long stood locked up. Whether the New Baths will be next remains to be seen; no one has announced anything as yet.

If you’re planning a visit

Check the bathhouse’s website to see if it’s open and whether it’s currently for men or women. If you’ve been there since it reopened for the second time, leave a review: that way we’ll know whether the repairs have stood the test of time.

Sources: Maritsa – the opening (13 January 2026), Maritsa – the accident (4 February 2026), Plovdiv24 (05.02.2026), Maritsa – the reopening (31 March 2026), PB News – resumption of operations.