Home of the “doctor fish”
Southeast of Sivas, Balıklı Kaplıca (Hot Spring with Fish) is famous for tiny fish (Garra rufa) which nibble the skin of psoriasis sufferers with supposedly beneficial effect. Not surprisingly there is a whole medical complex attached to the spring, and patients are advised to set aside a full three weeks of eight-hour days for treatment.
Unless you are unfortunate enough to suffer from psoriasis, you will probably be happy with a quick dip for the novelty value. Whatever the proprietors may claim, the fish seem just as enthusiastic about sweaty feet as they are about scaly skin.
Sleeping
Balıklı Kaplıca Hotel. Tel: 0346-457 1457
Transport info
To get to the spa you will need to take one of the infrequent buses from Sivas to Kangal and then pick up a taxi for the last 15km. Check return bus times carefully.
