Bardejovské Kúpele: Mineral Water, Culture and Nature

Bardejovské Kúpele combines a long spa tradition with mineral water, exhibitions and paths through nature. The mineral water is naturally healing, weakly to moderately mineralized, hydrogencarbonate-chloride, sodium-bearing, iron-bearing and carbonated. It is cold and hypotonic and has an elevated boric acid content. It is mainly used for drinking cures, mineral baths and inhalations.

Wellness

The first written mention of Bardejovské Kúpele dates from 1247. Regular spa treatment began here in the 15th century. Today, the wellness complex is open to spa guests as well as visitors and guests from the wider region and abroad. It includes an aquatic world and a sauna world.

Culture

The exhibition “Bardejovské Kúpele – Oasis of Peace and Health” presents the development of the town in four exhibition halls, from the first written mention to the present day. Another link to the past is the Muzeálny apartmán Sisi museum on the ground floor of the Alžbeta spa house. Sisi stayed in Bardejovské Kúpele from 1 July 1895 to 22 July 1895. The Sisi educational trail highlights this connection: it has seven stops, is 2.3 km long and takes approximately 45 minutes at a slow pace.

The local culture also includes an ethnopark. Spread over an area of 1.6 hectares are 31 exhibits presenting the folk culture and architecture of the Slovak and Ruthenian populations. The folk architecture exhibition includes a unique water-powered drilling machine for making wooden water pipes, which are made predominantly from pine wood. The folk architecture exhibition is the oldest exhibition of its kind in Slovakia.

Nature

The Čierna mláka forest educational trail is open year-round and self-guided, beginning at the Nad jazierkom location. It has three circular routes with lengths of 1.9 km, 3.7 km and 3.9 km. Another short path leads to the Kamenná hora lookout tower, which can be reached from the centre of Bardejovské Kúpele in no more than 20 minutes. A red-marked hiking trail also connects Bardejovské Kúpele with Bardejov.

The red-marked route to Stebnícka Magura begins at the outdoor swimming pool and leads to the summit in approximately two hours. The area around Stebnícka Magura is designated as a national nature reserve because of its primeval forests; the highest protection level, level 5, applies there.

Water

Bardejovské Kúpele has an outdoor swimming pool with heated water at 26 °C. The main pool measures 33 × 15 m, and the children's pool measures 4 × 4 m.

Getting There

City bus routes and some long-distance buses run from Bardejov to Bardejovské Kúpele. The bus journey from Bardejov bus station to Bardejovské Kúpele takes approximately 10 minutes.

More destinations

For further orientation, you can also visit the pages on Fričkovce, Zborov, Regetovka, Malcov, Stebnícka Huta, Bartfeld, Bartošovce and Smilno.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bardejov.