Thermal Destination
Hisarya
Hisarya · Bulgaria
In the sunny southern foothills of the Sredna Gora, Hisarya gathers twenty-two mineral springs among the walls of an ancient city — Roman Diocletianopolis, named for the emperor himself and ringed by some of the best-preserved Roman fortifications in Europe.
Diocletianopolis, city of Diocletian
Drawn by the healing springs, the Romans developed Hisarya into a major city of the province of Thrace and renamed it Diocletianopolis after Emperor Diocletian, who raised it to city status. It grew to be the third-largest city in Thrace, fortified in the 3rd and 4th centuries with massive stone walls that still stand today. Within them lay thermal baths, an amphitheatre, grand residences and, later, early Christian basilicas.
The only living Roman baths in Bulgaria
Twenty-two mineral springs of differing composition rise around Hisarya, and the great Roman thermae of Diocletianopolis still channel hot water through their surviving pools — said to be the only working ancient baths in the country.
Here visitors bathe in the same restorative waters that drew citizens and officials of the Empire nearly two thousand years ago.
Roman Diocletianopolis
Through the gate of the Camels
Hisarya’s fortress walls run 2,327 metres and rise up to eleven metres high, entered through the famous “Kamilite” (Camels) gate; within and around them lie a Roman amphitheatre, the ancient thermae and a beautifully preserved Roman family tomb with its original mosaic floor.
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Good to Know
How to reach Hisarya from Plovdiv and Sofia, the sunny climate and what to see among the ruins.
Travel information →Where to Stay
Hand-picked spa hotels and resorts among the springs and Roman walls of Hisarya.
Hotels in Hisarya →Booking
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Hisarya Tourist Information
Sredna Gora · Plovdiv Province
SPA Hotel Hissar · Tel. +359 337 627 81
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