Velingrad

 Velingrad is situated about 130 km away from Sofia and 80 km away from Plovdiv. It is considered to be the most beautiful and most famous among the Bulgarian Balneological resorts. It lies at the western end of Chepino Valley, one of the most attractive part of the Rhodopean Mountains in Southern Bulgaria.
 
There are 70 sources of mineral water with curative and preventive properties. The mineral waters (from springs and wells) vary considerably in temperature, mineralization, radon, silicic acid and fluorine content, and are suitable for treatment of a wide range of diseases. There are 28 thermal water springs with temperatures of 18-86°C and capacity of 120 l/sec. The largest thermal and mineral deposits are in Ladjene, Kamenitza, Chepino, Rakitovo and Kostadinovo.

Velingrad is situated at 750-850 m above sea level. Summer is usually warm and the winter is mild. The average annual temperature is 10C and the average July temperature is 19C. The annual duration of sunshine is about 2000 hours. The relative air humidity ranges from 65% to 75 %.
Surrounded by age-old pine tree woods, the town favors abundant sunshine. This exclusively rare and valuable combination has a beneficial influence on the process of ionization (negative ions are prevailing) and are of definite therapeutic importance. In the resort successfully are treated pulmonary cases: pulmonary emphysema, chronic bronchitis, post bronchial pneumonia, etc. The treatment of non-specific diseases of the respiratory tract is particularly successful. Considerable experience has been accumulated in the efficient treatment of diseases of the locomotive system, nervous diseases and gynecological disorders. Together with the numerous mineral waters Velingrad takes pride in another natural phenomenon as well - the Kleptuza. This is the biggest Karst spring in Bulgaria with debit of 1200 litres of ice-cold water per second.