Sofia’s hot springs: the back story

About Sofia’s hot springs: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Sofia Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Sofia was born beside its hot springs, and dozens of mineral springs still rise in and around the city. Few visitors know that they can fill a bottle with warm mineral water in the centre, or swim in mineral-fed pools a short ride away.

A city born by the springs

The Thracians settled here because of the warm springs, and the Romans built baths in Serdica. Dozens of mineral springs still rise in and around Sofia, from the centre to Bankya, Knyazhevo, Gorna Banya and Pancharevo, and the city’s motto, “It grows but does not age”, could almost describe its water.

Baths of the Ottomans

Under Ottoman rule the springs fed public baths, and the Banya Bashi Mosque, “the mosque of many baths”, was built beside them in 1566. Bathing was part of daily life in the city for centuries.

Sofia was born beside its hot springs, and the water still flows from public fountains in the heart of the city.

The Central Mineral Baths

In 1913 Sofia opened its Central Mineral Baths, a striped Vienna Secession palace that became one of the symbols of the city. Today it houses the Regional History Museum, but the water has not stopped: in the little park outside, warm mineral water flows from public fountains, and locals queue with bottles to take it home.

Bankya and Pancharevo

West of the city, the spa town of Bankya has a beautifully restored mineral bath, reopened in 2022, and a mineral water pool. South-east of the centre, at Pancharevo below Vitosha, mineral water feeds the pools of the Korali complex beside the lake, and the Sofia Beach resort brings a summer beach-club atmosphere to the lakeside.

How to enjoy the water

Bring a bottle and try the water from the fountains by the Central Mineral Baths; it comes out warm. For bathing, check the opening times and prices of the pools and baths before you go, as many are seasonal, and remember that mineral water baths are best enjoyed in moderation.

Our advice: on a summer day, take a taxi to Pancharevo for the pools and the lake, and on a cooler day, visit the restored bath at Bankya. In the centre, fill a bottle at the fountains, then visit the Sofia History Museum in the old baths.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sofia’s hot springs: the back story before you go.