Page update: 01 January 2000

Velingrad

Velingrad is the most beautiful and most famous among the Bulgarian Balneological resorts. It lies at the western end of Chepino Valley, one of the most attractive part of the Rhodopean Mountains in Southern Bulgaria. There are 70 sources of mineral water with curative and preventive properties.

The mineral waters (from springs and wells) vary considerably in temperature, mineralization, radon, silicic acid and fluorine content, and are suitable for treatment of a wide range of diseases. 9000 litres of water per minute spring from the five thermal and mineral deposits in Ladjene, Kamenitza, Chepino, Rakitovo and Kostadinovo. Velingrad is situated at 750-850 m above sea level. Summer is warm, winter is mild. The average annual temperature is 10C; and the average July temperature is 19C. The annual duration of sunshine is about 2,000 hours. The relative air humidity ranges from 65 to 75 per cent.Surrounded by age-old pine tree woods, the town favors abundant sunshine. This exclusively rare and valuable combination has a beneficial influence on the process of ionization (negative ions are prevailing) and are of definite therapeutic importance.

In the resort successfully are treated pulmonary cases: pulmonary emphysema, chronic bronchitis, post bronchial pneumonia, etc. The treatment of non-specific diseases of the respiratory tract is particularly successful. Considerable experience has been accumulated in the efficient treatment of diseases of the locomotive system, nervous diseases and gynecological disorders.

Together with the numerous mineral waters Velingrad takes pride in another natural phenomenon as well - the Kleptuza. This is the biggest Karst spring in Bulgaria with debit of 1200 litres of ice-cold water per second.