Climatotherapy in Pamporovo
CLIMATOTHERAPY IN PAMPOROVO
Dr. Tatyana Angelova, M.D.
Specialist in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine,
Expert to the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and Spa Tourism
Pamporovo is a mountain resort located in an ecologically clean region, at 1650 meters above sea level. Characteristic of the resort are the many sunny days, the specific breeze circulation, and air rich in negative ions and phytoncides.
The negative ionization in Pamporovo and the region is up to 40 times higher than that in an urban environment. Many studies show that both the negative ionization and air rich in phytoncides have an extremely positive effect on stabilizing the immune defense of the human body.
The history of the settlement begins in 1933 with the construction of the first villa intended for summer tourism. Gradually, the resort establishes itself as the most modern ski destination in the Rhodope Mountains and as a place for active recreation.
Studies from the 1970s conducted by the Scientific Institute of Balneology, Physiotherapy, and Rehabilitation established the presence of a specific breeze circulation that prevents the spread of fog above 1200 meters above sea level, as well as high negative ionization of the air—1200–1500 ions per cubic centimeter.
Recent studies, conducted in 2022, show an increase in these values. The reason for the results lies in the ecologically clean region, the climatic features, and the specific Rhodope mountain flora, consisting of many coniferous trees such as pine, fir, juniper, etc., along with a wide variety of medicinal herbs.
The different types of trees, shrubs, and healing herbs emit phytoncides not only in varying amounts but also with different healing properties. For example, the phytoncides from fir destroy the pathogens of whooping cough, dysentery, and typhoid fever; those from pine—the bacterium causing tuberculosis; birch and poplar affect Staphylococcus aureus, and so on.
All this determines the fact that the Rhodope is the only mountain in our country, and one of 12 in Europe, included in the list of places with healing air, created by Dr. Qing Li—a physician and immunologist from the university hospital in Tokyo, vice president of the International Society of Nature and Forest Therapy, who compiled the global map of healing places.
The natural features of the region were officially recognized in 1967, when the Ministry of Health issued an order granting Pamporovo the status of a climatic resort.
The above-mentioned facts are confirmed by long-term clinical studies conducted by collaborators from the Scientific Institute of Balneology, Physiotherapy, and Rehabilitation, which established a beneficial effect on patients with arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, and functional disorders of the nervous system.
Utilizing the experience accumulated over the years, in 2022 Pamporovo AD laid the foundation of a new strategy for the development of tourism in the resort, with a focus on the health sector.
By directing its activities towards preventive medicine—through the programs “Health for the Healthy” and those aimed at the prevention of vascular pathology, particularly arterial hypertension—Pamporovo AD aims to be a leader in organizing healthy lifestyle programs, which have become especially relevant in the past decade and following the COVID-19 pandemic.