“Welcome to the land of spa complexes” as opposed to “the land of the Thracians” could soon become the national motto of Bulgaria.  In the past five years, developing spa tourism has become one of the major trends in the country’s tourism industry, and 2007 is no exception. Hundreds of millions of euro are being invested in new spa complexes all around Bulgaria with the aim of attracting more and more tourists irrespective of the season.

Indeed Bulgaria provides plenty of opportunities for investors to develop spa services because of the numerous natural springs, not all of which are yet in commercial use. Spa usually means a variety of different services, all of which earn money, a matter of interest for both Bulgarian and foreign companies. Spa fever seems to be taking hold everywhere, with even residential complexes now featuring spa services. An example is the recent news about an Israeli company that plans to build five residential complexes that will offer spa services. The value of the investment is 440 million euro; this represents just a small part of what various companies have announced as intended investments in Bulgaria’s spa tourism.

All the projects represent just one of the sides of Bulgarian spa tourism, more precisely the brand new facilities that have been built in the past four years or that will be built in the next four.      With new construction, however, some time must pass for the place to become cosy and cultivate its own unique atmosphere. The brand new is not always the best, especially when it has not been tested by the first winter or the heat of the summer, depending on the season in which the spa opens. The quality of materials is also a factor that should not be underestimated, together with the quality of the construction work. The century is new, and futuristic design is on the agenda for most architects. This usually results in high-tech buildings, not always the best option for a relaxing weekend or week spent in the pool or on the massage table.

Spa equals nature in most cases. Given this, dozens of remote and little-known villages in Bulgaria have become the target of investors for the simple, yet perhaps ironic, reason that the places remain unspoilt. An atmosphere is not created by default, as a computer expert would say. It is created by careful planning and most of all careful work with Mother Nature when building large-scale holiday complexes. Proof of this latter point is the many hotels in Bulgaria built in the years when the country was part of the then Soviet bloc. 

These hotels represent the past of Bulgaria’s socialist tourism industry that has managed to survive the influence of democracy and competition from newly-built rivals. With little renovation, these communist-era hotels have become the pearls of Bulgarian spa tourism, attracting tourists from both Bulgaria and abroad. They earn respect for their wide spacious rooms, unlikely to be a feature of the brand new modern holiday complexes.

In the years before the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, two small towns in Bulgaria emerged as the country’s top spa places: Sandanski and Hissarya, (spelled as Hissar in most of the cases). The nature of the two towns and the mineral water springs (22 in Hissarya) made them perfect for spa complexes and the then rulers of Bulgaria did not hesitate before taking the plunge. One thing is certain: architects in communist-era Bulgaria knew how to build and spared no resources. It is evident that they had no limits in their selection of design and materials, a fact easily understood given that the hotels were built to serve the communist elite. Common people were in effect banned from using them. “Only the best for the party leaders” seems to have been the motto of the times.

The town of Hissarya, close to Plovdiv in central Bulgaria, is represented by two hotels with a vast beautiful park separating them. The four-star Hissar Spa Complex and the three-star Augusta Spa Hotel. Although today there are a number of newly built hotels in the own of Hissarya, the two mastodons of communist-style architecture  are of a scale to continue to take one’s breath away by their size.

A star difference
On paper, Hissar and Augusta are separated only by one star in their respective categories. However, from the moment you enter their lobbies, it is clearly apparent that the most privileged communist party leaders went to Hissar while the rest were destined for Augusta. Although Augusta was built in 1988, a year before the waves of great change began to sweep Bulgaria, the hotel is no model of cutting-edge contemporary design of the time. This, however, is one of the hotel’s advantages. Today the lobby looks exactly as it did in 1988, which gives you the unique chance to feel as if you are back in the late 80s. The hotel has three sections, making it look rather like a communist residential building. In total, the hotel has 560 beds (single and double rooms and suites all with balconies) and a restaurant that seats 400 and once must have been the venue of many party meetings. You can choose from renovated and un-renovated rooms, with the latter offering a time warp in reverse gear. Spa is customarily associated with luxury, so you might not want to risk the un-renovated rooms. As a spa hotel, Augusta has all you need. The indoor pool is completely new with a water slide in one corner. It has the inevitable jacuzzi with a sauna and a steam bath. The beauty centre dates from the time the hotel was built but possesses its own unique atmosphere, lent by the wooden walls, old doors and leather chairs. The outdoor pool is a jewel in itself. In the summer the best thing to do is to use the outdoor bar next to the pool and the green lawns.

For the real thing, however, you have to visit Hissar Spa Complex. It is just 50m from Augusta but the difference goes further than that. Indeed, the hotel was built several years before Augusta, but today it is a world-class four-star hotel with each star well deserved. The hotel is completely renovated, with the lobby, restaurants and rooms offering all the comfort one might need.

An Olympic-size indoor swimming pool and a beautiful outdoor pool with a section for children serve as a lure for hundreds of visitors. The hotel is perfect for a visit at any time of year. It is the best example of communist-style architecture managing to embrace all the latest technology. Everything in the beauty and health complex is brand new. For sport fans, there are the options of the tennis courts and the modern gyms. 

Hissarya’s main competition is the southern town of Sandanski, close to the Greek border. The small town is a popular tourist destination in the country, with dozens of small family-type hotels. The star here, however, is a hotel built in the 1980s, known among the locals as the Austrian hotel, because it was built to an Austrian design.

Named the Interhotel Sandanski, it is a massive building corresponding to its pretentious name. Next to the enormous white building is the town river. As a hotel built in the 80s when little money was spared by the communist authorities, Interhotel Sandanski has a big parking area with underground parking. Although the building might seem a bit uninspiring, given that it seems that it took the architect only a few minutes to design it, the rooms are fully renovated, spacious and clean. Every room has a big terrace with a magnificent view towards the city. The seven-storey white building has a fully equipped spa centre, providing whatever service you can think of. It offers 285 double rooms, eight small suites and three deluxe suites. The Olympic size indoor and outdoor swimming pool are a must. The best thing about the hotel is that it is in the centre of the small and cosy town. In the change of seasons, Sandanski is the best place to be for its warm climate and cool air.

Sandanski’s main advantage is that it is close to Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria famouse with its old architecture and wine making. It is just 20 minutes from Sandanski. Go there, enjoy the view, drink the wine. It is incredible. The town has only one street between the rocks, and lots of taverns. The wine is superb, taken directly from the cellars carved into the rocks.

Hissarya

By car: From Sofia take the Trakia motorway towards Plovdiv, turn off for Karlovo - 173 km; or;
Along the Sub-Balkan motorway towards Varna, via Karlovo - 170 km;
From Plovdiv - 42 km.
By bus: from Plovdiv - every hour; direct from Sofia; direct from Rousse
By train: from Plovdiv and Karlovo, changing at Dolna Mahala station.
Nearest airport: Sofia - 173 km.

Sandanski

By car: from Sofia take the road to the Greek border via Blagoevgrad - 157 km.
By bus: from Sofia - every day.
By train: direct from Sofia, every day.