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Bulgaria is a uniquely beautiful place that has been the axis linking Europe and Asia for more than 13 centuries and holds a clutch of mentions for natural and created beauty in the UNESCO world heritage listings. Although small, this picturesque country is steeped in ancient culture, scenic beauty, friendly people, hospitality and warmth.Occupying only some 111,000 sq km Bulgaria will fascinate you with its majestic mountains regions and crystal clear lakes, rock formations and mysterious caves, sandy beaches and romantic coastline. History and warm hospitality emanate from centuries old enchanted villages where time seems to have stopped.One of the unrivaled features of this country is that it encompasses a range of climates. Northern Bulgaria, which borders Romania along the Danube River, is moderately continental, whilst southern Bulgaria, bordering Greece to the south and Turkey to the south-east has a climate which is intermediate continental tending to Mediterranean. The coastal areas include golden beaches at the Black sea and are warm and fresh whilst the mountainous regions have an altitude 1900-2000m above the sea level – cool! In Bulgaria the seasons are simple and distinctive: beautiful blooming spring, hot summer, long and pleasant autumn and mild winter.
Bulgaria, as one of the world’s richest countries in natural mineral water springs, liberally served with spas used since ancient times by Thracians, Romans, Greeks, Slavs and Bulgarians. Over the centuries the country has gained scientific corroboration of the benefits of the spas & wellness programs which have developed specifically to serve to this environment.Its waters are one of the biggest natural resources in Bulgaria with over 500 mineral springs having chemically validated curative properties containing various compositions of mineralization and types of mineral salts, curative gasses and biologically active micro-components. In fact every kind of known mineral water may be found in the country so that in some places the mineral waters are equal in composition to the most famous balneotherapy centres in the world (e.g. Baden-Baden, Vishi etc.) and other mud-curing health resorts.The Climatobiological treatment traditions in Bulgaria date back eons with the therapeutic use of thermal waters and climatic factors playing a major part in its history.
There is evidence that old European civilizations appreciated the healing properties of the mineral springs and they became famous among legendary heroes, powerful emperors and even the common people who built up civilization around them. In Thracian times many flourishing settlements emerged around these hot mineral springs and the Roman era saw numerous spas established in such famous places like Augusta (present day Hissarya), Dezudava (Sandansky), Pautalia (Kyustendil), and Serdica (Sofia), where even the Roman emperors Ulpius Trayanus, Septimus Severus, Maximilianus and Justinianus sought treatment for their ailments. The Bulgarian health and spa resorts have the advantage of being located in very favorable climatic regions, affording the rare opportunity of combining balneotherapy (therapeutic bathing using among other things natural minerals to aid illness) with climatic treatments.The cool refreshing clarity of the Bulgarian mountains mean the resorts there have extraordinary scenery, clean air, short-wave ultraviolet radiation, negative air ionization and as they are particularly close to the mountain waterfalls as well as the exuberance of mineral springs, the difference in temperature and air/water composition are major assets for varied prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.
Other potent therapies are the use of the firth mud sources along the Black Sea coast, the curative peat, spring curative mud and bentonite clays which possess great potential treating many different diseases. The Black Sea coast also has a continental Mediterranean climate and a long stretch of beach. This specific sea climate, combined with curative mineral springs and curative mud offers excellent conditions for treatment, recuperation and holidays throughout the year.All scientific studies agree that in the uniqueness, variety and abundance of hydrothermal, bioclimatic, mud treatment, sea cure and other health resources, Bulgaria ranks among the first in Europe. Moreover, the country occupies one of the world’s premier positions for the therapeutic utilization of its exceptionally diverse range of medicinal herbs and the excellent curative properties of its apian products.This enormous wealth of natural factors, combined with country’s modern hotels and spa facilities provide excellent possibilities for the year-round effective treatment of the most widespread diseases of our times and truly make Bulgaria a COUNTRY OF HEALTH.
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