Mineral bath “Gorna Banya”

About the bath

A modern mineral bath built by Sofia Municipality between 1922 and 1927 on the site of the old Turkish bath. “Here stands the modern state mineral bath with a flow of 130 litres a minute. Its water has a temperature of 41 °C and is also used for drinking, delivered in special bottles. In 1935, 216,590 people bathed here. Around the bath building a fine park has been laid out for the rest and walks of holidaymakers, and it is to be extended and improved further. The people of Gorna Banya, who until a few years ago were considered real villagers, have not forgotten to raise a fine monument in this park to their fellow villagers who died in the war. The people of Gorna Banya live mainly from farming and stock-breeding, but no small number are officials in the capital and workers in the many industrial enterprises and factories in Gorna Banya. More and more of them earn their living by giving lodging and comforts to the holidaymakers who come here.” (1937)
Decades ago the bath was closed for a renovation that never began. In 2019 ownership of the bath was transferred to Sofia Municipality, on condition that the bath be restored. There is a project approved by the Ministry of Culture, again for a dual-purpose building (a Centre of Competence – Hydrothermal Centre with mineral water). The deadline was 5 years, but since the project did not start within that time, the next step is for the bath to be returned to the state. A complicating factor is that over 90% of the flow of mineral water has been granted under a concession to a bottling company until 2035. Only 0.8 l/s remains for the bath, which is still enough for its thermal rebirth.