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Bulgarian spas can provide you with somewhere different to spend a little down time.
Bulgaria has an exceptional wealth of natural mineral springs, hot springs and beneficial mud that have been the basis of treatments for centuries.  The Greeks and particularly the Romans had a love of bathing - it was almost as much about socialising as cleanliness. Some of the most renowned spas in the Roman Empire were Bulgarian at Hisar, Sandanski, Sliven and Burgas - these were further developed as the Roman Empire gave way to the Byzantine.
During Ottoman rule, the Islamic precept of cleanliness drove further development of huge Bulgarian bath complexes open to all and the newly independent Bulgaria was inaugurated at about the same time as Victorian Europe discovered complementary medicines. Doctors would happily prescribe a sojourn in the mountains and on the coast as a treatment for a range of conditions. Grand spas such as that at Sveti Konstantin in Bulgaria were filled with guests from royalty to the new glitterati - writers, composers and playwrights.
Though Westerners disappeared from the spas of Bulgaria during the communist era, Russians took their places in vast numbers. The Bulgarian population became used to being prescribed complementary therapies as part of an underfunded and non-innovative health service, so much so that they were regarded as mainstream treatments for skin disorders, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, nervous conditions and kidney and liver complaints.
Today there are over 500 Bulgarian balneotherapy centres and 250 thermal sources. Each offers a different speciality and some only deal with medical cases. The most developed pleasure spas can be found on the Black Sea coast at Albena, Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and Sveti Konstantin.
The Bulgarian town with the largest number of mineral springs is Velingrad, with over 70. The hottest spring is the one in Sapereva Banya near Dupnitsa, with a constant temperature of 40°C. It is claimed to be the hottest in Europe.
A Quick Guide to Bulgarian Spa Treatments
 Aromatherapy - use of essential oils to improve mood or ameliorate minor conditions.
Detox or detoxification - the process of removing toxins - substances that are damaging or poisonous, such as coffee or alcohol, from the body.
Exfoliation - removal of the upper layers of the epidermis to eliminate toxins and promote new skin growth.
Helio-prophylaxis - sunlight therapy. Inhalations - for lung problems and for re-oxygenation of the system.
Mud treatments - infuse minerals into or leach toxins out of the skin.
Ozone and oxygen therapy - like an ozone 'sauna' to eliminate free radicals.
Reflexology - the belief that areas of the feet are linked to areas of the body. Massage of these points promotes improvement in problem areas of the body.
Seaweed wrap - the body is coated in seaweed extract to re-mineralise and re-hydrate the skin.
Thalassotherapy - use of seawater for massage.
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