The town of Sapareva Banya is located at an altitude of 750 m at the northeastern foot of Rila Mountains. It lies at a distance of 15 km east of the town of Dupnitza and 56 km from Kyustendil. The town is an administrative municipal centre with 4 component settlements. Sapareva Banya has a population of 4 400 inhabitants. Until 1943 the town is known under the name of Gorna Banya.

The town is famous for its hot mineral springs and the most emblematic among them - the 103^oC geyser. It is the only one on the Balkan Peninsula and the hottest in Europe. The mineral springs have a capacity of 18 litres per second and a healing effect for diseases of the locomotory system, the peripheral nervous system, skin diseases and other.

Life has existed in the flat valleys of the Valyavitza, Dzherman, and Dzhubrena Rivers for more than seven thousand years. The territory of the region boosts of many monuments of past cultures. Within the limits of the town has been discovered the Neolithic settlement of Kremenik and in the north-western part - the ancient town of Germania. The town has existed during the Roman epoch and the Middle Ages. Germania is the home town of Velizarius, the prominent military commander of the emperor Justinian. The medieval settlement has been an Episcopal centre until XIV c. During the excavations have been discovered streets, housing and public buildings, fortified walls etc.

Among the tourists sights are: the medieval churches from XII-XIIIc. "St. Nikola", " St. Archangel Michael"(in the village of Saparevo); the Revival period churches " St. Forty Martyrs" , "St. Georgi"(Sapareva Banya), "Sveta Bogoroditza" /Holy Virgin/ (the village of Separevo), "St. Joan Bogoslov" (the village of Ovchartzi) and "St. Nikolai" (the village of Resilovo). The churches impress with their architecture, mural paintings and wood carvings.

Tourist sights

The resort village of Panichishte is located in northwestern Rila Mountains at an altitude of 1350 m. The site has a dense coniferous forest, meadows and a lake. There are also ski facilities in the area.