Park “Tsentralna Banya”

There are a lot of fascinating historical monuments behind the TZUM retail mall, one of which is the Central Mineral Bath. It is a landmark in Sofia’s center, with vivid ceramic mosaics on the façade.

The Central Mineral Bath’s architectural design was prepared by architects Petko Momchilov and Friedrich Grünanger and was authorized in January 1906. The design used the Vienna Secession style while also including traditional Bulgarian, Byzantine, and Eastern Orthodox decorative features. The base was finished in 1908, and the was opened to the public in 1911 as a public bath with separate facilities for men and women, but the formal opening occurred two years later, on May 13, 1913. It took another two years for the structure to be completed and a garden to be created in front of the Baths.

During WWII, the north wing of the structure was severely damaged during the bombing of Sofia. It was renovated some years later and used as public baths until 1986, when it was closed owing to poor condition and realistic fears about the roof’s stability.

It is now being renovated and will soon contain the first City Museum devoted to Sofia’s history as well as a hydrotherapy facility. Locals line up every day to get warm mineral water from the park’s tapped springs. There are chairs in the garden where you may relax and take in the scenery.