Varshets

Varshets is one of Bulgaria's oldest and gentlest spa towns. Set at the foot of the western Stara Planina (Balkan mountains) in the country's quiet north-west, it has welcomed cure-seekers since the 19th century — and the Romans long before that, who knew it as "Medeka," meaning "hot, boiling water."

The softest water in Bulgaria

Varshets's calling card is the quality of its water, not its heat. Drawn from six springs and boreholes at 32–37 °C, it is a sulphate-bicarbonate-sodium water, very weakly mineralised (under 1 g/L), alkaline (pH ~8.5–9) with a little radon — and famously free of limescale, which makes it one of the softest, most pleasant drinking waters in the country.

A heart-and-nerves cure

Varshets specialises in cardiovascular disease and disorders of the nervous system (including recovery after stroke and ischaemic heart disease), alongside endocrine-metabolic, gastrointestinal and liver conditions, and skin problems such as trophic ulcers, neurodermatitis and chronic eczema. Treat this as background, not medical advice.

A historic resort and the Sun Garden

The modern resort grew through the 19th century (first mentioned 1848; established as a resort by 1879), and public mineral baths opened here in 1910 — among the earliest in Bulgaria — followed by the New Bath in 1930. In 1934 the town laid out its beloved Sun Garden (Slancheva Gradina), whose ray-shaped alleys of pale, light-reflecting stone and avenue of plane trees remain the heart of the resort.

Where to stay

Varshets has spa hotels and a sanatorium tradition, plus family guesthouses — a calm, good-value, family-friendly base. Browse the hotels below; verify prices and treatments directly.

Best time to visit

Year-round, with the Sun Garden at its best in late spring and autumn and the Balkan slopes inviting in summer.

Combine your trip

Varshets pairs with the mountain town of Berkovitsa, the Kom peak and western Stara Planina trails, and the scenic Petrohan Pass back towards Sofia — a restful corner of Bulgaria few foreign visitors reach.