Strelcha: Mineral Water, Thracian History and Trekking

Nature and Trekking in the Sŭshtinska Sredna Gora

The rock formations of Strelcha are protected under Bulgarian nature conservation law. Strelcha is also a starting point for trekking routes in the Sŭshtinska Sredna Gora. If you want to focus your outings on nature and activity, you can include both of these aspects in your travel plans. No information about the length or route of the trekking trails is available here; to decide which route is suitable, you should therefore consult separate information.

Thracian Heroon and Town Museum

The Thracian cult complex Heroon “Zhaba Mogila” consists of a tomb-mausoleum and a sanctuary-temple. The tomb-mausoleum, located in the municipality of the town of Strelcha, dates from the 5th–4th century BC and was excavated in 1976. At this site, you can encounter both the religious function of the complex and a specific chapter of Thracian history.

The Strelcha Historical Museum is located in the town centre. Its exhibits are divided into the departments of Archaeology, Bulgarian Lands in the 15th–19th Centuries, and Art. The archaeology exhibition covers the period from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Visitors interested in history will therefore find a sweep of time here that reaches far back before the Thracian era and continues into the Middle Ages. The Nedeleva House also has an exhibition hall where various events and temporary exhibitions organised by the museum take place.

Mineral Bath with Indoor Pool and Tubs

Strelcha Mineral Bath is located in the town’s central park. Facilities include a 36 m² indoor pool and an area with 14 tubs. All pools and showers at the Municipal Mineral Bath use 100% mineral water at a temperature of 31–33 °C. The water at the mineral bath is weakly mineralised, contains sulphate-hydrocarbonate sodium and fluoride, contains 324 mg/l of minerals, and has a temperature of +56 °C.

If the mineral bath is important to your trip, you can make it a focus in its own right alongside the cultural and nature-related themes. When choosing a holiday rental in Strelcha, you can therefore also consider which of these interests you would particularly like to prioritise during your stay.

Rose-Growing Culture and Festival Programme

Strelcha’s Festival of Tourism and Essential-Oil Crops is the successor to the Rose Festival. In the last five years, an Avenue of Scents and an Avenue of Crafts have traditionally been held in Druzhba Square. The festival’s Saturday programme includes the traditional rose-picking ritual and a visit to a rose distillery.

Since the first festival, the Municipality of Strelcha has offered visitors a local tourism fair as part of the event. It showcases balneological tourism and attractive places to visit. The festival information thus adds themes related to roses, crafts and tourism to the picture of the town. As these are festival activities, you should consider them as such and not as year-round offerings.

Access to “Zhaba Mogila”

“Zhaba Mogila” is 4 km from the town centre. Access is first via a paved road, followed by 300 m of unpaved track. Because of its proximity to a railway line, this section cannot be travelled by motor vehicle; there is no public transport. For paid guided tours, contact the Strelcha Historical Museum on request. These conditions are particularly important if you plan to make a visit to the Heroon a fixed part of your stay.

More places to explore: Strelcha, Rakitovo, Bratsigovo, Pazardzhik, Velingrad, Lesichovo and Septemvri.

For the wider travel overview: Pazardzhik Province.