SAPAREVA BANYA

The town of Sapareva Banya is situated on the Northern slope of Rila Mountain in Southwestern Bulgaria, just a two hours drive from the Capital of Sofia and 15 km eastern of the town of Dupnitsa. The municipality of Sapareva Banya includes popular tourist destinations like The Seven Rila Lakes and the Skakavitza Reserve and Waterfall, the mountain resort of Panichishte. The municipality proudly shares one third of its territory with Rila National Park, which was established in 1992.
While Sapareva Banya is known for its cool, clean mountain water, it is famous for its unique geothermal mineral water. Here one finds the hottest mineral water in all of Europe (103degrees C) and the only active Geyser in the Balkans. Sapareva Banya prides itself in its cool mountain water and its healing geothermal mineral waters. The mineral water is largely sulfuric with significant levels of iron, calcium and manganese. It is the hottest mineral water in the Balkans and produces the only active geyser here as well. The geyser and its surrounding park were developed in 1957 and have been tapped as a geothermal heating source for the municipal buildings and the greenhouses.
The Sapareva Banya Sanitorium/Health Center has been treating patients with diseases of the upper respiratory system, nervous system, bones, joints, and skin for over 50 years. The staff is composed of trained specialists in mud treatments, hot water massage and physical therapy. The Sanatorium complex also contains an outdoor mineral water pool for use during the summer season.

Panichishte

The resort of Panichishte is located 1350 m above sea level on the border of Rila National Park, close to the spa resort of Sapareva Banya. The resort offers several ski runs. For beginners and advanced skiers – Andjera, Bekyara, also a cross-country track with a length of 5000 m. The terrain at Seven Rila Lakes Hut is a real challenge for the lovers of extreme skiing. Panichishte provides good conditions for practicing all sports disciplines. There are also ski runs for Alpine Skiing suitable for racings. In the resort there are cozy hotels and huts.

Many hiking trails  start of pass through Panichishte – to the Seven Rila Lakes, Skakavitsa Preserve and Skakavitsa Waterfall, the resort of Malyovitsa and to the well-known Rila Monastery.
The Rila National Park Visitor’s Center in the Panichishte Resort was created with funding from the PHARE Program of the European Union under the direction of the Ministry of Environment and Water. It is patterned after some of the most famous centers found in reserves and national parks around the world. It is the first such park center created in Bulgaria. The focus of the visitor's center is to offer visitors all the information they may require concerning National Park Rila. The center has been designed to blend with the natural outline of the mountain.

To reach Sapareva Banya and the Panichishte Resort, travel south from Sofia on the International Highway E - 79 for 45 minutes. Take the Doupnitza exit and follow the signs to Sapareva Banya (15 minutes).