My dear friends, today I invite you for a sunny and smiling walk through the lovely town of Dolna Banya, located on the northern slopes of Rila and on the right bank of the Maritsa River.
The resort village of Dolna Banya is protected from pollution, temperature overheating and strong cooling, which is helped by the influence of the Maritsa River.
The biggest natural attraction of Dolna Banya are the white storks. In 1999, Dolna Banya won first place in the National competition for the most stork nests with 21 nesting pairs of white storks.
How do you get to the town of Dolna Banya?
You will find it on the road between the town of Kostenets and the village of Maritsa.
There are many natural advantages of Dolna Banya!
The location of the town, related to the influence of the high mountain, the diversity of the relief and the vegetation, the different heights above sea level - from 800 to 2000 meters, determine a healthy moderate-continental and mountain climate, as well as high purity of the air. Winter is mild, spring is wet, summer is cool and pleasant, and autumn is warm and sunny.
The greatest wealth of Dolna Banya are the mineral springs.
The thermo-mineral waters of the city possess almost the entire spectrum of useful qualities.
The general characteristic of the water is: weakly mineralized, alkaline, radioactive.
Venetitsa, Yurta and Koychovets are the three settlements that formed the village of Banya in the past when they merged, and from the second half of the 19th century they were renamed Dolna Banya.
There are historical records that around the 5th century BC along the upper reaches of the Maritsa River lived the Thracian tribe of Besi, mainly engaged in ore mining - iron and gold.
The name Dolna Banya was given by Samosmiths.
Assumption Church
It is an extremely beautiful and dignified temple, still functioning today, even though it is 151 years old.
The inhabitants of Dolna Banya are awake and good Christians.
After 1860, they began to collect funds and look for an opportunity to build an Orthodox church.
Grandma Milka Staykova donated her house and yard for a church and school.
The church was built mainly at night.
Some of the icons were painted by Dimitar Zogravski.
Although it did not have a belfry, it was not built into the ground, as Turkish law dictated, a sign of the intransigence of the Dolnoban people.
On October 30, 1870, the church was consecrated by His Eminence Dositei Samokovski.
The sequoias of Dolna Banya
In the park of Dolna Banya, there are a significant number of sequoias, adorning this charming town. And you can visit it and enjoy them.
What can be seen nearby?
16 kilometers from Dolna Banya (about 23 minutes by car) is the charming and full of water throughout the year Kostenski waterfall.
8 kilometers from Dolna Banya (about 11 minutes by car) is the beautiful village of Raduil, also known as the small Sveta Gora.
Borovets resort is located 20 kilometers from Dolna Banya (26 minutes by car). The path to the Black Rock starts from here.
You must visit the "Transfiguration of the Lord" temple - this is a unique wooden church of its kind in Bulgaria, which you will find in the resort of Borovets.
2.5 kilometers from Borovets (6 minutes by car) you will find Tsarska Bistritsa - a palace of the rulers of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom (1878 - 1947).
25 kilometers from Dolna Banya (32 minutes by car) is the town of Samokov.
In Samokov you can see the beautiful church "St. Nicholas the Wonderworker".
You can visit the temple "Assumption of the Holy Mother of God Metropolitan".
And you must visit the magical park "Kraiiskarets".
Have a nice walk!