There is something about Pchelin...

Sofia echo, 16th January 2007

Or, better said, about Pchelinski Bani. For a start, it is one hour away from Sofia, driving on the (very good) motorway to Plovdiv. Then, the view from Rila Mountain is absolutely stunning. With Borovets only 30km away, the village climbs into nearby hills and a stream flows through it. The climate is unexpectedly milder than in Sofia. Maybe this is what attracts storks to the place – actually, the first stork I saw in Bulgaria was in Pchelinski Bani. (I immediately tied my martenitsa on a nearby tree.)

Pchelinski Bani is, for the time being, a very quiet place resting on a treasure: hot mineral waters (73 °C). And yes, Pchelinski Bani has a spa, dating back to communism and decaying in a sort of melancholic way. “Chistota e merilo za kulturata na choveka” (Cleanness is the measure of a man’s culture) reminds a solitary sign. The spa is still open, and because of the undisputed virtues of mineral waters, local people still go there.

The only hotel of the place has been renovated and we like it for its splendid location, its affordability (30 leva per person in a double room in the renovated wing – which we would recommend over the old one) and the combination of medical procedures and spa facilities. A physician is on the spot and can be consulted. The indoor and outdoor swimming pools of mineral water are rather small, but the hotel is well fitted, unassuming and the restaurant is definitely pleasant.

Pchelin is changing: some houses have been sold or renovated, the price of land is rising, and a new hotel and a residential complex are being built. The mayor of the nearby town Kostenets tells us that an aquatic centre will be developed in the near future. One thing is certain: investors are attracted to the place by its spa potential and the proximity to the golf course in Dolna Banya and to Borovets.

In the years to come, Pchelin should lose some of its quiet, but will find a new life.



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