Holiday apartment in Bardejovské Kúpele: Healing Springs, Culture and Nature

Bardejovské Kúpele combines the history of a traditional spa resort with mineralogical features, museums and paths through nature. The mineral waters are used mainly for drinking treatments, mineral baths and inhalations. Their water has natural healing properties; it is weakly to moderately mineralized, hydrogencarbonate-chloride, sodium-bearing, iron-bearing and carbonated. It is cold and hypotonic and has an elevated boric acid content.

Wellness

The current on-site offering includes a wellness complex that is open to spa guests as well as visitors and guests from the wider region and abroad. It includes a water world and a sauna world. In addition, Bardejovské Kúpele has an outdoor swimming pool with water heated to 26 °C. The main pool measures 33 × 15 m, while the children’s pool measures 4 × 4 m.

Culture

The history of the spa resort dates back to its first written mention in 1247. Regular spa treatments began in Bardejovské Kúpele in the 15th century. An exhibition entitled “Bardejovské Kúpele – Oasis of Peace and Health” traces the development of the site in four exhibition halls, from this first written mention to the present day.

The connection with Sisi is also present on site. The Muzeálny apartmán Sisi Museum is located 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 has seven stations, is 2.3 km long and takes approximately 45 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Folk architecture includes an ethnopark in which a total of 31 exhibition objects are distributed across an area of 1.6 ha. They present the folk culture and architecture of the Slovak and Ruthenian populations. The folk architecture exhibition also includes a unique water-powered drilling rig for producing wooden water pipes, which are made mainly from pine wood. It is the oldest exhibition of its kind in Slovakia.

Nature

For walks through the landscape, the Čierna mláka forest educational trail is one option. It is open year-round and is self-guided, beginning at the Nad jazierkom site. The educational trail has three circular routes measuring 1.9 km, 3.7 km and 3.9 km.

The Kamenná hora lookout tower can be reached from the centre of Bardejovské Kúpele in no more than 20 minutes. A red-marked hiking trail connects Bardejovské Kúpele with Bardejov. Another red-marked route begins at the outdoor swimming pool and leads to the summit of Stebnícka Magura in approximately two hours.

The area around Stebnícka Magura is designated a national nature reserve because of its primeval forests; the highest protection level, level 5, applies there.

Getting There

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

Other Places

Other places in the selection: Fričkovce, Smilno, Zborov, Malcov, Regetovka, Bartfeld, Bartošovce, Stebnícka Huta.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bardejov.