In the southern part of old city center, in the area of today’s market, remains of the Roman baths/spa can be found. The Romans attributed great importance to hygiene and health, baths served also as a social meeting places.

The baths originally called thermae or balneum were indispensable in the ancient Roman urban life as well as in the houses of more well-to-do citizens in the countryside. They comprise the following rooms:

– caldarium – a room for the hot bath
– tepidarium – a room for the medium temperature bath
– frigidarium – a room for the cold bath with deepened semi-circular basin

The present baths include also a covered room for massage and gymnastics – palaestra and privy – latrine. Originally they were a adjoined to the residence house. They were built around the year 300 A.D. In the second half of the 4th century the baths appeared as an independent building with an annex for heating. Remains of pavement made of mortar were found in the room while the sewage system connected to the main flow-of canal near the defence wall was found between the buildings.

See other remains from Roman empire in Slovenia!

Floor plan of the Roman baths
Floor plan of the Roman baths with indicated parts of the building, which can gives us a little insight what solutions they found, so that they could take care of hygiene and enjoyed it. To view the map in full size, just click on the image on the left or on the link to open it in another window. [_See the map_]

Ajdovščina
Ajdovščina is a city in the central part of Vipava valley, at the confluence of the stream Hubelj and Lokavšček, on the contact of Ajdovščina field and flysch slope below Gora (Sinji peak, 1002 meters). The city lies along the main road, which through Ljubljana connects central Europe with northern Italy. [_Read more_]