The Roman Thermae in Varna, the Balkans' Largest Ancient Baths
The Roman Thermae are the ruins of a vast bath complex from ancient Odessos, in the south-east of today's Varna on the Black Sea coast. Built towards the end of the 2nd century, they are the largest Roman baths in the Balkans and the biggest surviving ancient building in Bulgaria. A visit to the Roman Thermae in Varna shows how a Roman port town bathed, exercised and talked politics.
These Roman baths in the middle of Varna later served as a citadel, an Ottoman gunpowder store and a prison, and their vaults still rise some 20 metres above the street.
The history of the Roman Thermae in Varna
Long before the baths, the site of Varna was a Thracian settlement and then a Greek colony, Odessos, founded around 570 BCE according to the Polish Wikipedia. In AD 15 the city became part of the Roman Empire and was assigned to the province of Moesia. It kept a certain autonomy: according to the Bulgarian Wikipedia, it could mint its own coins and had no Roman garrison. As the main port of Moesia, Odessos absorbed Roman culture quickly, and the baths are the clearest proof of it.
The baths were built towards the end of the 2nd century and remained in use for about a hundred years. Coins of Emperor Septimius Severus, who ruled from 193 to 211, were found in the sewer, and the latest coins date from the reign of Tacitus in 275. That is how archaeologists know that the building served the city until the end of the 3rd century. The complex covered some 7,000 square metres and had the full range of rooms: a changing room, cold, warm and hot pools, and a palaestra, a hall that worked as the social centre of the city, where men met to discuss public matters. Underfloor heating (a hypocaust) with a double floor and wall cavities carried hot air up through the building, and the baths were placed close to warm mineral springs that are still used in Varna today.
Excavations brought out statues of Hercules, Victory and Mercury, which probably decorated the halls, and the pedestal of a statue of Claudius Aquila. Inscriptions show that Asclepius and Hygieia, the divine patrons of health, had a shrine in the north-west part of the baths. Archaeologists also found fragments of marble window frames shaped like the club of Hercules, who was worshipped as a patron of springs.
The story did not end with Rome. In the 14th century the ruins housed craftsmen's workshops. Later the vaults were reused as the citadel, the inner fortification of the Varna fortress, and in Ottoman times the building became a gunpowder store with three towers and an outer part, the ich-kale. That outer part was pulled down under the terms of the Treaty of Adrianople after the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829. The cellars of the baths then served as a prison, known as Ichkale, until after Bulgaria's Liberation.
Scientific interest began in 1906, when the Austro-Hungarian researcher Ernst Kalinka identified the ruins as an ancient building. The Czech-Bulgarian brothers Karel and Hermann Škorpil did much to arouse interest in the site and to protect it. Excavations by Varna's archaeological museum between 1959 and 1971, led by Milko Mirchev, uncovered the main part of the building. Houses and churches stand between the two fenced areas, and parts of the baths lie under the surrounding streets, so more may still be hidden below. Research continues, and in the summer the ruins are used as an open-air theatre.
Curious facts about the Roman Thermae in Varna
- By area, these are the fourth-largest preserved Roman baths in Europe, behind the Baths of Caracalla and of Diocletian in Rome and the baths of Trier.
- They are the biggest surviving ancient building in present-day Bulgaria, with a floor area of about 7,000 square metres.
- The vaults once reached 20 to 22 metres in height, and the walls still tower over the surrounding streets.
- Marble window frames shaped like Hercules' club were found here, a nod to the hero's role as protector of springs.
- Under the Ottomans the ruins served as a gunpowder store, and the vaults below were used as a prison called Ichkale.
- In summer the old baths host an open-air theatre and concerts, so ancient walls may be the backdrop of an evening show.
Tours near Roman Thermae in Varna
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Roman Thermae in Varna
- The ruins lie in the south-eastern part of Varna, near the port, where San Stefano Street meets Han Krum Street, so they combine easily with a walk through the city.
- Look for the tall vaulted walls and for the remains of the heating system, which show how the rooms were warmed from below.
- The site is divided into two fenced areas with houses and churches between them; part of the complex lies under the modern streets.
- The Varna Necropolis, which lies about 5 km away, makes a natural second stop on a day of ancient history.
- Check the current opening hours and visiting conditions before you go, since concerts may take place here in summer.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Roman Thermae in Varna is
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Questions
What are the Roman Thermae in Varna?
They are the ruins of a large public bath complex of the Roman city of Odessos, built towards the end of the 2nd century. They are the largest Roman baths in the Balkans.
Where are the Roman Thermae in Varna?
They lie in the south-eastern part of Varna, near the port, at the crossing of San Stefano and Han Krum streets.
How big are the Roman baths of Varna?
The complex covers about 7,000 square metres and its vaults reached 20 to 22 metres. By area it is the fourth-largest surviving Roman bath complex in Europe.
When were the Roman Thermae in Varna built and used?
They were built towards the end of the 2nd century and used for about a hundred years, until the end of the 3rd century. Coins of Septimius Severus and of Tacitus helped date them.
What did the Roman baths have inside?
They had a changing room, cold, warm and hot pools and a palaestra, with underfloor heating. They stood close to warm mineral springs.
What happened to the baths after Roman times?
The ruins housed workshops in the 14th century, then became part of the city's fortifications, an Ottoman gunpowder store and a prison. Today a summer theatre uses the site.
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