Historic recognition for Bulgaria – The Ministry of Tourism and the Municipality of Hisarya bring the city into the elite of Thermal Europe

Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh and Mayor of Hisarya Iva Valcheva announced today that the city of Hisarya has been officially accepted as a member of the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA).

With this achievement, Hisarya takes its place among Europe’s most prestigious destinations with thermal traditions and cultural heritage. Founded in 2009 in Brussels, EHTTA brings together 50 members from 18 countries — including 37 municipalities and 13 associated organizations. The Association is recognized by the Council of Europe and has been an affiliate member of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since 2019.

Earlier this year, a meeting at the Ministry of Tourism brought together Minister Miroslav Borshosh, Hans Hornig — Chair of EHTTA’s Scientific Committee and Heritage Advisor for the City of Baden, Austria — and Hisarya’s Mayor Iva Valcheva. The discussion focused on the city’s potential membership, noting that Hisarya meets all key criteria for participation in the network through its Roman heritage, historic thermal area, and developed tourism infrastructure.

“Hisarya’s accession to EHTTA is a recognition not only of its centuries-old tradition in medical and spa tourism, its preserved Roman cultural heritage, and its mineral springs with proven healing qualities, but also of the successful cooperation between the state and local authorities. This is an important step in establishing Bulgaria as a leading SPA and balneological destination in Europe,” said Minister Miroslav Borshosh.

The Minister added that tourism is much more than an economy — it shapes Bulgaria’s image and reputation worldwide — and reiterated that effective tourism policy is built through partnership between national government, local authorities, and the media. He emphasized that support for the regions and their international visibility is among the Ministry’s top priorities, highlighting upcoming national events such as the Global Conference on Wine Tourism, organized by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with UN Tourism. This is a global forum that will bring leading international experts in this field of tourism to Bulgaria and will provide an opportunity for various Bulgarian wine destinations to be presented to a wide international audience. According to Minister Miroslav Borshosh, Hisarya’s admission to the European Association marks another step toward establishing the city and municipality as an important and influential tourist destination on both the European and global stage. New joint initiatives and partnerships in this direction are forthcoming.

“It is an honor for me to announce Hisarya’s membership in the European Historic Thermal Towns Association. Hisarya deserves this recognition — and with it, so does Bulgaria. We worked together with the Ministry of Tourism, with scholars and experts. It was not easily achieved, but it is a success for the entire city and for Bulgaria,” said Mayor Iva Valcheva during the announcement.

Kiril Valchev, Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency, described the event as a new reason for national pride, alongside the recent achievements of Bulgaria’s volleyball players. He noted that the news agency traditionally promotes Bulgaria as the country with the richest mineral waters in continental Europe and builds partnerships with municipalities to showcase their cultural and tourism initiatives.

Hisarya is one of Bulgaria’s oldest balneological resorts, with a thermal tradition dating back to Roman times. The city symbolizes the connection between history, cultural heritage, and healing mineral springs, and is now part of a prestigious European network that will help further promote Bulgaria’s SPA and balneological destinations to international audiences.