Varshets ( bg, Вършец, variously transliterated; ) is a spa town in

Montana Province Montana Province ( bg, Област Монтана, transliterated: ''Oblast Montana'') is a province in northwestern Bulgaria, bordering Serbia in the southwest and Romania in the north. It spreads its area between the Danube river and the Balka ...

, northwestern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Varshets Municipality. As of December 2019, its population is 5,444.Bulgarian National Statistical Institute – Bulgarian towns in 2019
/ref> The town is located on the northern slopes of the western part of the Balkan mountains in the small valley of the Botunya River, at , 359 metres above sea level. It is one of the oldest resorts in northern Bulgaria, and is known for its mineral springs, mild mountain climate, and natural environment. The town's tourist infrastructure includes two spa centres, a polyclinic, several rest houses, hotels and also many private lodgings. Varshets has an art gallery, a municipal museum and an

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

church dedicated to

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

. A 2nd century BC bronze sculpture of a

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...

boy found in the vicinity of the town is today a symbol of Varshets. The modern town is linked to ''Medeca'', a Roman and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

site first mentioned in the 6th century AD. Varshets' existence was also evidenced in 16th century documents. The first state baths in Varshets were built in 1910 and were run by Damyan Ivanov, a balneologist who specialized in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. The New Baths were built in 1930, and the Sun Garden was arranged in 1934. In 1950, Varshets was proclaimed a national resort. Vurshetz-view

Places named after Varshets

Varshets Saddle on Smith Island,

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1 ...

is named after Varshets. "Varshets" is also the name of the paleontological locality of Middle Villafranchian (Late Pliocene) fauna and flora near the village of Dolno Ozirovo close to the town of Varshets.Boev, Z. 1995. Middle Villafranchian birds from Varshets (Western Balkan Range – Bulgaria). – In: Peters, D. (ed.). Acta palaeornithologica. 3. Symposium SAPE. 5. Internat. Senckenberg-Konferenz 22–26 Juni 1992. – Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. Frankfurt a. M., 181: 259–269.

Notable people

* Lachezar Stanchev, a poet born in Villa Nezabravka.

References

External links

Varshets.info – news information site of Varshets

Varshets.com – Varshets business site (in Bulgarian only)

(archived) {{Authority control Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Montana Province Spa towns in Bulgaria