At 12 km from the town of Strumica (Струмица), at the northern foot of Mount Belasitza (Беласица), located are strong hot water springs with a temperature of 72 ° C.
The source is located in the village of Bansko, which is the main reason why water baths once got the present name.
Near the source “Parilo” is located the Roman bath, which was built in the II century AD. The area covers more than 1500 m2 and is one of the largest baths in the Balkans.
Most of the 11 rooms had different functions and were built of brick and stone combined with mortar. Heating inside was designed and constructed with a special system in which hot water was used to heat the floors and walls.
The bath is designed like most Roman buildings and was in the spirit of the health needs of the Roman culture. The roman bath had also a dressing room (apoditerium) for the clothes, and in the area called “dipterium” the sick were massaged with oils. The room “tepidarium” was located among the hot bath (sauna) and cold bath (frigidarium).
The main place was occupied by the baths and tub pool whose depth was about 1.5 m, and the pool was gained by stairs. The sunlight entered through the windows, which made a private and intimate atmosphere.
Destruction of this sanatorium happened in VI century AD.
The thermal springs are five in number, of which only one, is largest. It flows into the main bath called “Turkish Bath” (Турска Бања) and four other freely wreak with no particular catchments, and only one part flows into the bathroom “Salandzha” (Сланџа). The water temperature in the spring does not change during the year, which proves that comes from great depth.
The temperature of the water is about 71 degrees, in the spring which supplies the main Turkish bath. The spring that supplies “Salandzha” has a temperature of 56 degrees.
The site “Roman bath” in Bansko is one of the few preserved Roman monuments of its kind in Europe.
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