Rupite Thermal Springs

Rupite's hot springs — measured between 71°C and 78°C with a combined discharge of about 35 litres per second — surface at the foot of Kozhuh, a 281-metre volcanic outcrop that represents the eroded edge of an extinct volcano and has been a protected natural landmark since 1962. Archaeological remains at Kozhuh's southwestern base point to the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica, occupied from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD. Rupite became internationally known through Baba Vanga (1911–1996), Bulgaria's most famous clairvoyant, who lived here and considered the volcanic terrain a wellspring of the powers attributed to her; the memorial church of St. Petka of Bulgaria, built at her request in 1994, now draws pilgrims and tourists alongside those visiting for the geothermal water itself.