Kyustendil

Kyustendil has been a spa since Roman times, when it was Pautalia and its thermal water was already in use, and the remains of the Roman baths, one of the larger such complexes in the Balkans, have been excavated in the middle of the town. Above it on Hisarlaka hill stands a late Roman and medieval fortress with walls and towers, partly restored, in a wooded park with paths. The Ahmed Bey mosque holds an art gallery, the church of Saint George at Kolusha is a tenth-century building with wall paintings, and the house museum of the painter Vladimir Dimitrov is here. The valley around the town is planted with fruit, above all cherries and apples, and blossom in April is a local occasion.

History

A Thracian settlement with a shrine to Asclepius stood here from the 5th-4th centuries BC, and as Pautalia it became a Roman town, renamed Ulpia under Hadrian, whose fortress of the 2nd to 4th centuries covered more than 29 hectares, with a smaller fort, later called Hisarlaka, added in the 4th century. As Velbazhd it appears in a charter of Basil II in 1019, became an important religious and administrative centre, passed to Bulgaria under Kaloyan between 1201 and 1203 and to Serbia in 1282, and fell to the Ottomans in 1395 (Wikipedia, Kyustendil).

Highlights

• Roman bath remains - one of the larger complexes in the Balkans.
• Hisarlaka fortress - walls and towers in the wooded park above.
• The Kolusha church - a tenth-century building with wall paintings.
• Fruit blossom in the valley - cherry and apple in April.

When to go

April to October, with April for the blossom. Half a day. Museums close on some Mondays. The town is a short train ride from Sofia and makes an easy day.

Practical notes

The Roman baths are fenced and partly viewed from outside. The fortress restoration is visible and modern in places. The town is quiet and has limited facilities for visitors. Thermal bathing is in dated municipal facilities.

Nearby

Rila Monastery is east; the Serbian and North Macedonian borders are close.