Last updated: October 2026 — archaeological context, current museum information, the Roman sites of Hisarya, and visitor information for the Thracian complex at Starosel have been reviewed, while the original first-hand journey is preserved.
Bulgaria is a quiet country, full of nice towns and villages. Some of them are just places for relaxation, but others also hide ancient secrets- remains from more than two thousand years ago. Let’s make a journey to two of these mysterious places. They are called Hisarya and Starosel- a small town and a big village in a hilly area, in the southern part of the country. And let’s also travel back in time, in an attempt to touch the life from that ancient era, in this part of the Earth.
Table of Contents
The secrets of Hisarya and Starosel
First, let’s open the map. Can you see the wide plain valley between the Rhodope and Sredna Gora mountains? This is the Upper Thracian Plain. This plain-and-foothills belt is one of the key interior zones of the Eastern Balkans, linking the Thracian lowlands with the Sredna Gora ridge system. Look at its northwestern part, at the foot of Sredna Gora. You can see the small city of Hisarya. What makes it special is the combination of mineral springs and exceptionally well-preserved Roman remains. The springs were used long before the Roman period, but under Roman rule the settlement developed into an important fortified spa town.
Now let’s look northwest of Hisarya. You can see the village of Starosel. It looks like a normal village, but it hides remains from a much earlier period than Roman Hisarya — the world of the ancient Thracians, whose kingdoms dominated large parts of this region during the first millennium BC.
So, we can make a journey to these places, which is also a journey back in time. But before we do it, let’s get into some historical details.
Some ancient history
The area around Hisarya and Starosel has been inhabited since prehistoric times. During the first millennium BC it became part of the cultural and political world of the Thracians. By the late 6th and 5th centuries BC, the Odrysian Kingdom had emerged as the strongest Thracian state in the region. The monumental complex near Starosel belongs mainly to the late 5th and early 4th centuries BC and reflects the power, ritual life, and elite burial traditions of the Odrysian period.
During the Roman period the settlement developed around the mineral springs into an important spa center. In 293 AD, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, it received urban status and became known as Diocletianopolis. Massive fortification walls, public buildings, baths, streets, and other urban structures were constructed or expanded during this period, shaping much of the archaeological landscape visible today.
Its golden era lasted for several centuries, but later, with some destruction caused by other invaders, it declined and eventually was abandoned. It was not before the 17th century when a new village, called Hisar was established around the ancient ruins. This village became a city and a resort.
At the same time, the ancient Thracian ruins in Starosel were abandoned too, but a new village was established in Medieval times. Then, in the 15th century, migrants from another part of Bulgaria came and built today’s Starosel.
Our trip to Hisarya and Starosel
Although these places were not far from my home city Plovdiv, I haven’t explored them yet. So I decided that I must make up for that omission. We traveled by car the distance of 45 km from Plovdiv to Hisarya, and the first thing we saw was an ancient Roman tomb. Then we stopped in the center and walked around the best of the ancient Roman ruins and the mineral springs. We enjoyed the beautiful park beside the ruins, then we proceeded to Starosel, some 20 km away.
Starosel looks just like a normal village, similar to the other villages nearby. But when we went out of the village, we saw the difference. First- it was its local vineyards and the large wine complex. Then, we reached the ancient Thracian ruins. The first one that we visited was the Thracian tumulus “Horizon”, and the second was the largest one- the Underground temple on the Chetinyova Mogila Hill. These sites are small, but enough mysterious and impressing to take you back in time. After that, we back to Plovdiv.
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Now, let’s make a journey to Hisarya and Starosel, diving into more details. Let’s start with Hisarya.
Hisarya
Today Hisarya is a small city, famous mainly for its mineral baths and its ruins of Diocletianopolis. This has turned it into a resort, and a tourist destination. Let’s visit the places of interest in Hisarya.
Archaeological Museum
I always recommend visiting museums. Thus, you can get better information about what are you going to explore in the area. „Armed” with more knowledge, you would not just walk around ancient stones without a clear idea where are you walking, but this knowledge would help you back in ancient times and get the best impression of the ruins.
So, the Archaeological Museum of Hisarya is located in the center of the city. It presents a lot of artifacts from the Thracian, Roman, and early Bulgarian eras. Here you can see models of the ancient city of Diocletianopolis, with its main landmarks.
The Archaeological Museum is open daily, with different summer and winter hours. Ticket combinations and prices can change, so check the current visitor information before your trip. The museum is a good starting point before walking through the archaeological reserve. Hisarya Archaeological Museum — current information
Diocletianopolis
Diocletianopolis is remarkable for the preservation of its Roman fortification system and urban remains. Bulgarian official tourism sources describe it as the third-largest town in the Roman province of Thrace during its peak. Today its walls, gates, baths, public buildings, amphitheatre, basilicas, and tombs form the National Archaeological Reserve of Hisarya. Visit Bulgaria — Hisarya
If you arrive from the center of Hisarya, the first thing you can see is the Colonade. Although it is a new construction, made in 1960, it is designed in ancient Roman style and features a mineral spring. Now it is one of the best places for photos in the city.
From there, you can enter the beautiful Lily of the Valley („Momina Salza”) Park, full of exotic trees like Gingko Biloba, Paulownia, Magnolia, etc. Soon you will descend into the valley with the hot springs and the Roman ruins.
The Roman Thermes
The Roman Thermes are among the most impressive remains of Diocletianopolis. Parts of the complex are preserved almost to roof level, making the structure unusually easy to understand compared with many more fragmentary Roman bath ruins. The baths were built around the mineral springs and included pools, treatment rooms, and a sophisticated water and heating system. Hisarya Municipality — archaeological heritage
Momina Salza Spring
The alley continues through Momina Salza Park, named after one of Hisarya’s best-known mineral springs. The spring has long been used for drinking and balneological purposes and remains part of the city’s spa identity. The surrounding colonnade and park architecture create one of the most recognizable public spaces in Hisarya.
Proceed a bit more, to the southern end of the park. Then turn left, cross a small stream, and will reach an ancient Roman tomb, at the end of the city.
The Roman Tomb
This Roman family tomb dates from the 4th century AD and lies about 300 m south of the fortified city. Its original structure has survived exceptionally well, including the long corridor, burial chamber, multicolored floor mosaic, and traces of wall painting with geometric and floral motifs. The identity of the people buried here is not known with certainty.
The tomb is open to visitors as part of the archaeological reserve, but opening days and access arrangements can change seasonally. Check the current information through the Archaeological Museum before visiting.
The southern part of Diocletianopolis
After the tomb, you can back to the ancient Diocletianopolis. But this time walk beside its southern ruins. You can see the remains of ancient houses and military barracks. Soon you will reach its southern gate- one of the most significant parts of the ancient city, and one of the largest preserved Roman gates in the Balkan Peninsula. Today, it is one of the main landmarks of Hisarya.
From here you can back on the street to the center of Hisarya. But that’s not all. Don’t skip its contemporary mineral baths, where you can enjoy the hot water even in winter.
The modern mineral baths
Most of the mineral baths in Hisarya are located in the eastern part of the city. And if you want to go there from the ancient Diocletianopolis, you will most likely cross the beautiful Orpheus Dol Park. It is a nice place for a walk, and its most noticeable spot is the Summer Theater- a modern stage for live performance, built in ancient Roman architectural style.
Then, you can reach the resort part of Hisarya. There are a lot of mineral swimming pools, SPA hotels, and other resort attractions. You can choose a hotel and spend 2 or more days relaxing in this amazing place, combining your beach activities with ancient history. Or you can come even for several hours and enjoy the hot water after your history exploration.
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We finished exploring this amazing small city, and proceeded further to the northwest, to the foot of Sredna Gora. The distance between Hisarya and Starosel is 21 km, and we took it quickly, enjoying the beautiful hilly landscape. Soon we arrived in Starosel, ready to dive back in time again.
Starosel
Starosel looks like most of the big villages in this part of Bulgaria. It is well-known for its active collaboration with the Bulgarian rebels against the Ottoman power in the 19th century, giving many fallen heroes for Bulgarian independence.
It is interesting, but our goal was much further back in time, further even than the Roman era. For this purpose, we had to leave the village and proceed several kilometers beyond it. We passed by the modern complex Starosel, and soon reached the first site- ancient Thracian tumulus „Horizon”.
Ancient Thracian tumulus Horizon
We stopped our car in the parking lot and walked on the path to the tumulus, passing by the Orthodox temple St. Spas. The tumulus was silent for more than 25 centuries.
A tumulus is an artificial burial mound covering a tomb, temple, or ritual structure. The Horizon mound is especially unusual because its facade includes a colonnade of ten early-Doric columns — a unique architectural feature among known Thracian monuments. Archaeological finds indicate that a high-ranking Thracian person was buried here, although the exact identity remains unknown.
From here, we proceeded further to our main goal — the Thracian temple complex at Chetinyova Mogila. During our visit, the entrance fee was only 3 BGN; treat this as a historical price, not a current 2026 rate.
Thracian Underground Temple Chetinyova Mogila
Chetinyova Mogila is one of the most important monumental sites associated with the Odrysian Kingdom. It is not simply a tomb but a large temple-mausoleum complex built beneath a tumulus, dating from the late 5th to the early 4th century BC. Its scale and architecture suggest a connection with the highest levels of Thracian aristocracy or royalty, and some archaeologists have proposed that it may have been associated with the Odrysian king Cotys I, although this identification is not certain.
The mound is surrounded by a monumental stone krepis wall about 241 m long and up to 3.5 m high. Inside, the ceremonial route leads through a monumental entrance toward a circular chamber decorated with ten semi-columns and traces of red and blue ornamentation. The wider Starosel archaeological area includes several under-mound temples and royal burials, making it a complex landscape rather than a single isolated tomb. Visit Bulgaria — Thracian Temple Complex, Starosel
We ascended to the tumulus and reached its main stairs, established as the main entrance to its stone gate. A corridor with pillars led us to the inner round hall, with a dome-shaped ceiling. Various ornaments or traces of ornaments could be seen everywhere.
Current visitor note: The main temple at Chetinyova Mogila and the Horizon temple remain the principal publicly accessible archaeological sites near Starosel. The official tourism portal lists the complex as open daily from 08:30 to 16:30, but it is still worth checking current conditions before traveling. Chetinyova Mogila is about 4 km from Starosel on an asphalt road with parking at the site. Visit Bulgaria — Starosel visitor information.
Then we walked around the mound and followed the massive stone wall surrounding it. On the northern side of the complex, archaeologists identified a space connected with the storage of wine and water, reflecting the important ritual role of both liquids in Thracian religious practice.
Beyond the main tumuli: Kozi Gramadi
The wider archaeological landscape continues much deeper into Sredna Gora. Northeast of Hisarya, near Kozi Gramadi Peak at about 1,100 m altitude, archaeologists discovered another major Thracian complex including a ruler’s residence, fortifications, rock sanctuaries, ancient roads, quarries, and burial areas. Unlike the easily accessible monuments beside Starosel, Kozi Gramadi requires a more mountain-oriented approach and gives a much stronger sense of how the Thracian elite used the wider landscape, not only isolated burial mounds. Visit Bulgaria — Kozi Gramadi.
There are many other, smaller tumulus tombs nearby, but they are hidden in the hills around the southern foot of Sredna Gora. But there is something else that makes Starosel and the whole area favorite not only for the Thracian kings but for the modern people today- wine.
Wine and SPA complex Starosel
Viticulture remains one of the defining features of the Starosel area, and the modern Wine & SPA Complex Starosel continues to build its identity around local wine, accommodation, restaurants, and spa facilities. Wine tours and tastings are still offered, but current schedules and prices should be checked directly with the complex rather than relying on details from our original visit. Wine & SPA Complex Starosel — current information.
Check your accommodation in Wine & SPA Complex Starosel!
We enjoyed most of this and left Hisarya and Starosel. We back to Plovdiv, which is the city of the same theme- ancient, full of culture and modern colors. And what we saw on the foot of Sredna Gora impressed us, so a desire to proceed to explore further deep into the mountains, villages, and history, in the middle parts of Bulgaria.
Get more impressions from the video below:
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Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.
So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.
And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.
Enjoy!
Krasen and Ying Ying
Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually. So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration. And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality. Enjoy!
