Wandering Through Hisarya

Hello, last month we visited Hisarya, a small but historically rich town. This city, known for its mineral hot springs, has been a significant location since ancient times. On the way there, I was curious about why many people fall in love with this city and decide to stay there for a long time. Bulgaria is a beautiful country where you can enjoy resort-style vacations all year round. In summer, there are beach holidays, winter brings skiing and spring and autumn offer thermal vacations! One of the cities with numerous thermal springs and many wellness facilities is Hisarya. This city has long established itself as one of Bulgaria's most popular year-round holiday destinations. This is made possible thanks to the mild climate, healing mineral springs and many well-preserved archaeological sites. Bulgaria ranks first in Europe for its mineral springs and is among the leading countries worldwide in this category. They are literally everywhere. Wherever you go, you find thermal springs. It's not an exaggeration to say that wherever you dig with a shovel, a thermal fountain will burst out.

Hisarya is located in the center of Bulgaria, not far from the capital. If you want to reach here from Sofia, the road is only 180 km long and takes about two hours. However, most tourists come from Plovdiv, the country's second-largest city. Hisarya is actually a suburb of Plovdiv, as it is located just 40 kilometers north of the cultural capital.

We realized right away that the city is a very calm and peaceful place. This is why residents of large Bulgarian cities often choose Hisar for weekend getaways. The fresh air and abundance of mineral water not only offer an escape from city crowds but also help improve health. Fewer than 7,000 people live in Hisar, making it a fairly small town. One day is sufficient for tourists to visit. Trips here are often combined with a tour of Plovdiv. After getting tired of walking through the hills of Plovdiv, tourists come here to see the old castle and stock up on the precious healing water on their way back. We didn't stay here, but we knew we didn't have to look for a complex with a mineral spa when choosing a hotel. You can rent a room in a simple hotel and buy a day pass to a spa at one of the larger hotels with its own mineral springs. This is the norm everywhere :)

The city was founded by the ancient Romans in the 1st century, but the first settlements in this area date back to around the 5th century BCE. Here, we saw the best-preserved castle wall in Europe, as well as Roman baths with mineral water flowing through an ancient aqueduct. The structure was built in 135 CE. According to the information signs, the city was noticed by Roman Emperor Diocletian in the 3rd century. Legend has it that Diocletian had a kidney ailment and couldn't recover from it for years. The emperor was cured only after visiting Hisarya and after that, he was so excited that he ordered castle walls to be built around the city and the local springs to be explored to make them accessible for all Roman nobles.

During the emperor's reign, the city was transformed into a real fortress. Magnificent wide walls, barracks and watchtowers attached to them protected the city for years and since then, the city was known by a new name: Diocletianopol. But today, only small parts of all the ancient decorations remain. Wars devastated Diocletianopol. All the residents were killed and the homes were completely destroyed.

Therefore, while walking around the city today, you come across many ancient excavations, but unfortunately, most of them are preserved only at the foundation level and do not reflect the former grandeur of Roman buildings. However, in the 17th century, the Turks appreciated the natural conditions of the ancient resort and resettled here, giving it its current name, Hisar (castle), due to the many remains of fortifications.

The southern gates are the main symbol of the city of Hisarya. Images of the gate can be found all over the city and are even depicted on the city’s coat of arms.

Just outside the gate, along the wall, we saw the well-preserved remains of ancient structures that labyrinthine through the castle's interior. We reached the central barracks of Diocletianopolis. The barracks complex extends along both sides of the southern gate, stretching the entire length of the southern castle wall. The barracks are separated by wide corridors and the side exits from these corridors lead to the castle towers. According to records, there was a permanent garrison of about 600 people here in the 4th century. It is believed that the barracks were two stories tall due to their thick partition walls and massive arches.

We tried using Google Maps here, but unfortunately, it wasn't successful. If you plan on navigating the city using Google Maps, forget about it. The locations are completely mixed up and directions can be quite tricky. Signs are placed in the wrong spots and images are arranged so chaotically that they seem to torture travelers rather than help them.

There is a small walking path that starts from the barracks. If you turn left, you reach the Roman tomb; if you turn right, you enter the heart of the ancient city. We thought we still had time to walk among the remains of the city, so we initially headed to the tomb.

The path took us to a semi-abandoned park with the extremely intriguing name Monkey Gorge or Monkey Park. If you're like me and wonder where the monkeys in Bulgaria came from, I can tell you an interesting urban legend. During the Ottoman era, many caravans passing through Hisarya often fell victim to local bandits. Once, when these bandits looted one of the caravans, they were surprised to find monkeys instead of gold and spices. Taking advantage of the chaos, the monkeys escaped and settled in the nearest forest. At that time, the mild and warm weather was conducive to the monkeys' proliferation and breeding. They multiplied so quickly that a belief arose among locals that there was magic in this park. Young brides would come to the park after their wedding and spend the night here, believing that such a trick would help them get pregnant faster.

It seems that the brides in these areas were quite adventurous. I wouldn't dare spend the night in a dark forest with monkeys. Unfortunately, in the late 19th century, one of Bulgaria's coldest winters occurred and none of the monkeys survived. Therefore, today, only the park's original name serves as a reminder of its monkey past.

By the way, we arrived at the ancient Roman tomb. This is a 4th-century underground family tomb. From the outside, it looks like a mound with a small narrow opening. At the entrance, you could buy tickets and various tourist souvenirs.

Then, we proceeded through an arched staircase and corridor to reach the burial chamber. The walls of the tomb and corridor are decorated with colorful frescoes symbolizing the Garden of Eden, which are partially preserved to this day. The burial chamber is a small rectangular room with symmetrically arranged niches on the walls, possibly for the personal belongings of the deceased. The floor is covered with a colorful mosaic resembling a beautiful carpet. Two tombs are built on either side.

The structure is, of course, interesting, but you don't stay long here. We looked around, took a few photos and then continued on our way. As we returned from the park, we came across the amphitheater.

Here's what the amphitheater in Hisarya looks like now. About 50 meters beyond the theater, we encountered Hisarya's most famous mineral spring, Maiden's Tear. There are 22 hot mineral springs in and around Hisarya, each with unique healing properties. Plus, I think one more thing is significant: the water is odorless and has no distinct taste.

The water here is truly healthy. I got the chance to confirm this in practice. There’s a cute cat living near the spring. The furry friend gets fed by tourists with their sandwiches but only drinks water from the local spring. It displayed very playful behavior, purred loudly and showed no signs of health complaints. So, I think the spring works and is scientifically recommended.

Next to the spring are the Roman baths. The baths are really well-preserved, with some still having their roofs intact. This is one of the few famous thermal Roman baths in Europe. Many health procedures like massages with aromatic oils after baths are conducted here, much like modern spas... I think they must have offered scrubs and peelings too.

The most popular platform for enjoying the mineral water today is a complex called Terme de Hisar. Located just 400 meters from the southern gate, about a year ago, a modern beach resort complex was built here. It has slides, bars and saunas. Swimming pools, palm trees, restaurants and a modern relaxation area are also part of the complex. It has pleasant landscaping with olive trees, grassy areas and flower beds. This place is suitable for a delightful stay and offers great views.

After the Roman baths, we headed back to the park. Walking in Hisar was an enjoyable experience. The city has plenty of green spaces. There are four parks in such a small town. We visited the first one, Monkey Park, on the way to the tomb. The second one, Orpheus Park, we stumbled upon while walking beside the castle wall. The third park, Momina Banya, contains a spring and a still-operating bath complex. This spring isn't as popular as the others because it's located far from the old town center.

The last park we walked through was Maiden's Tear, the fourth park in Hisar. It starts from the spring where we met the cat and stretches almost to the middle of the city. Unlike the other parks, this one is a classic city park with walking paths, statues and fountains. Perhaps the most beautiful is the Maiden's Tear Fountain. In the middle of the square, a naked beauty stands proudly, holding a high tray over her head, with life-giving water gushing from beneath her feet.

There is another interesting spot in the park that attracts tourists. This is the snow-white Roman colonnade, the city's second symbol. The colonnade was built in the 1960s and precisely copies a Roman model. It's adorned with depictions of eight gods related to health. The most famous are Asclepius and Hygieia.

We also visited the local archaeology museum. Although wars have generally worn down the city, the small artifacts found here are typically found on these lands and are partially displayed in the local museum. For art lovers, there's a small summer theater built in ancient Roman style. For nature lovers, walking here is a pleasant experience.

We climbed the cross named Momina Banya at the top of the hill. The hike isn’t difficult, but it's somewhat rugged. At the summit, there's a small gazebo with a barbecue and along the way, we encountered an old well. I can't say the walk was fantastic, but the view of the city from the top was quite lovely.

We continued our walk and came across another spring with an elegant name, Youth Fountain. This is the city's newest spring and has the hottest water. And it’s adorned with the most beautiful colonnade. It's also the final stop on our route. The water here is believed to be very beneficial due to its high metasilicic acid content, which slows down the aging process at the cellular level. This is why the spring has this name. The water is quite hot - 51 degrees Celsius. The spring is so new that it's not mentioned in most guidebooks. On Google Maps, it's mistakenly labeled as the Colonnade of Momina Banya. This is because it's located at the head of the Momina Banya park, next to the old bath building, so the name got stuck there. The atmosphere here was quite pleasant.

Hisarya is a quiet, comfortable and clean holiday town with beautiful ancient Roman heritage. When we arrived in Hisarya, we felt like time stood still and the hustle and bustle receded. While walking through the green parks, we experienced a sense of peace and tranquility. If you're tired of city crowds and looking for a quiet place to relax, it's definitely worth coming here. Lounge by the pool, visit the spa treatments, all of these are available in Hisarya. And if you're interested in ancient excavations and ancient Roman heritage, you should definitely dedicate a day to visit.