Dolna Banya
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Dolna Banya
Долна баня | |
|---|---|
 Dolna Banya square with the clock-tower and the Library | |
  Dolna Banya Location of Dolna banya | |
| Coordinates: 42°17′N 23°46′E / 42.283°N 23.767°E | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Provinces (Oblast) | Sofia |
| Government | |
| Elevation | 643 m (2,110 ft) |
| Population (13.09.2005) | |
| • Total | 5,667 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal Code | 2040 |
| Area code | 07120 |
Dolna Banya, also Dolna Banja or Dolna Bania (Template:Lang-bg) is a town located in Sofia Province in southwestern Bulgaria. 75 km from Sofia and Plovdiv, Dolna Banya is located by the north-eastern slopes of the Rila Mountains, 18 and 30 km respectively from the ski resorts of Borovets and Samokov. Dolna Banya is a resort town, known for its hot mineral waters, with temperatures of 56.3 C. The area surrounding the town is largely agricultural, and there are skiing and hiking trails in the nearby mountains.
Dolna Banya is a small lively town. The square has a vegetable market, bakery, and two bars. The inside of the town's Bulgarian Orthodox church is covered in murals, and the churchyard located next to a stream. The local stadium is named Vasil Levski, a tribute to the leader of Bulgaria's liberation from the Ottoman Empire and the national stadium of the same name in Sofia.
Dolna Banya is accessible by road, and a daily bus runs from the Sofia bus depot through other villages in the area. However, buses run more frequently from Sofia to Kostenets (8 km from Dolna Banya). From Kostenets transportation is available every 30 minutes to Dolna Banya. Trains also run about every hour between Sofia and Kostenets.
In June 2005, Ibar Golf Club announced that a 20m Euro golf course would be constructed in Dolna Banya. Construction began in the fall of 2005 and is set for completion in 2007.[needs update] It is expected to be the only golf course in Eastern Europe to meet PGA standards.[citation needed]
Demography
According to the 2011 census, Dolna Banya has 4,522 inhabitants.
Ethnic groups
Most inhabitants are ethnic Bulgarians (81.7%), followed by a large Roma minority (17.6%).
Religion
According to the latest Bulgarian census of 2011, the religious composition, among those who answered the optional question on religious identification, was the following:
Most inhabitants belong to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (88%). There is also a very large Protestant minority (8%), especially part of the ethnic Roma people.
Gallery
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Dolna Banya Municipality Hall -
Main square - view from the town clock-tower -
Dolna Banya Museum (view from the clock-tower) -
The antique bath, built around 1700 on top of Ancient Roman ruins
References
- ^ "Religious composition of Bulgaria 2011". pop-stat.mashke.org.
