Kyustendil: Thermal Springs and Culture

Thermal Water and Baths

Kyustendil’s mineral water reserves provide thermal water at temperatures of 26 to 76°C. This range makes thermal waters a defining feature of the town, while each of its historic bathhouses has its own story to tell. The Chifte Bath is a public bath dating from 1913. It is supplied with hot mineral water and is intended for balneotherapy, including therapeutic treatments, kinesitherapy and massages. The Dervish Bath was restored in 2005 and is designated an architectural monument. Visitors can therefore choose between a bathhouse with a specified therapeutic purpose and a protected historic building to explore from a cultural and historical perspective.

Roman Traces and the History of the City

The ancient bath complex “Asklepion” dates from the beginning of the 2nd century. The complex covers more than 3,000 square metres; each of the nine excavated rooms has a Roman hypocaust heating system. These architectural details make the site particularly interesting for visitors curious about the technical aspects of Roman bathing culture.

The museums also cover a range of subjects. A permanent exhibition at the Dimitar Peshev House Museum is devoted to the events of March 1943 and the role of Dimitar Peshev and his fellow citizens in saving Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War. The Iljo Voyvoda House Museum has six rooms featuring an exhibition on the region’s population and its national liberation struggles.

The Regional History Museum “Acad. Yordan Ivanov” houses more than 100,000 movable cultural objects from archaeology, numismatics, ethnography, and older and more recent history. Its courtyard contains the “Pautalia” lapidarium, with stone sculptures and architectural elements from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The “Vladimir Dimitrov – The Master” Art Gallery also holds 1,359 of the artist’s works, around 100 of which are on display in the permanent exhibition.

Walks, Architecture and Local Traditions

A tourist walking route runs through the centre of Kyustendil. It takes about 2 to 3 hours and is approximately 2 kilometres long. For a stay focused on the city’s history, it offers an experience of its own alongside individual museum visits. Other notable historic sites include Hisarlaka Fortress, an architectural and construction monument of national importance, and the Prokopieva House. Built at the end of the 18th century in the Gradets (Varosha) neighbourhood, this is the oldest surviving building from Bulgaria’s National Revival period in Kyustendil. It is in the old town, near Velbazhd Square and the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

If you would like to include a landscaped green space between cultural visits, Ezerata Eco-Park has two artificial lakes connected by a tunnel bridge. A walking path and a decorative stream wind around them; the park also has green spaces and places to relax. The Pautalia karting track in the southwest of the city offers a different kind of visit. It is set in a pine forest and has four track layouts; the longest is 1,050 metres long.

The annual National Masquerade Festival “Djamala” takes place in February. At “Djamaldzhiysko Selo,” local artisans and artists display handmade masks, Kukeri accessories and traditional products. If you want to visit Kyustendil for this festival, February is the right time for this occasion.

The city’s range of attractions can also guide your search for a holiday rental in Kyustendil: decide in advance whether you want to focus mainly on the museums and historic buildings, the thermal theme or the festival.

Discover More Places

Nearby places include Lomnitsa, Kopilovtsi and Ranentsi.

Other destinations at the same level: Boboshevo, Kocherinovo, Treklyano, Rila.

Back to the overview of the wider region: Kyustendil Province.