
Rajecké Teplice () is a spa town in the
Žilina District,
Žilina Region
The Žilina Region (; ; ) is one of the eight Regions of Slovakia, Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts (okresy) and 315 municipalities, from which 18 have a town status. The region was established in 1923, however, in its p ...
in northern
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
.
History
The first reliable written record was in 1376. It has town status since 1989.
Geography
The town lies in the
Rajčanka
Rajčanka or Rajčianka () is a river in northern Slovakia springing in Strážovské vrchy near Čičmany and pouring into Váh in Žilina. It is long and its basin size is .
It forms the border of Lúčanská Malá Fatra Mountains and of Strá� ...
river valley, south of
Žilina
Žilina (; ; ; ; Names of European cities in different languages: U-Z#Z, names in other languages) is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the List of cities ...
.
History of the spa
Located between the Lúčanská
Malá Fatra and Martinské hole Hills at the valley of the
Rajčanka
Rajčanka or Rajčianka () is a river in northern Slovakia springing in Strážovské vrchy near Čičmany and pouring into Váh in Žilina. It is long and its basin size is .
It forms the border of Lúčanská Malá Fatra Mountains and of Strá� ...
river, the spa is marked as Thermae on a map from 1376, but a deed by Luis the Great gives the first written account of the hot water springs named Villa Tapolcha. In the donation deed made by the king
Vladislaus II for
Štefan Zápoľský from 1496, the spa is referred to as "possessio Thoplycza", what could mean a settlement or a hamlet.
The
Lietava domain had been developed at the beginning of the 17th century and it covered the thermal spa together with the broad surrounding and the first settlements from which the present spa – Rajecké Teplice – had developed. The first buildings included the spa house and an inn for wealthy guests, with the first detailed description of the spa given by professor Cranz in his balneography.
There were three
spa pools available for guests and the treatment focused on paralysis, rheumatism, oedema and various dermatological diseases.
The construction of the mansion began in the beginning of the 17th century (1610) and new construction of the spa was commenced at the end of the 18th century, since the Palatine
Juraj Thurzo liked this spa, as can be seen from a written document from 1604. The Palatine Thurzo built a brick house with six rooms. The Lietava domain was split after his death, and the spa did not benefit from this and began to deteriorate.
The new prime time of the spa came only by the end of the 18th century, when baron
Ján Kalis, one of the heirs of the Lietava domain, built a brick house with 14 rooms at significant costs. The spa at those times was divided for gentry, burghers and common people and there were three roofed pools: Noble, Common and Poor.
The first description of the thermal water in Rajecké Teplice comes from 1776 and it was written by Pavol Adami. In 1793, Dr.
Amadé Kelin, a physician of the Turčianska County, published in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
the first monograph about Rajecké Teplice, promoting the spa town throughout
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
.
The 19th century saw a comprehensive development of spa facilities, with spas becoming a popular summer residence for gentry, high aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie.
The number of visitors decreased rapidly after World War I and Rajecké Teplice became a spa of only a local importance.
Numerous constructions of treatment tracts took place in 1925–1937, such as the Spa House, Baník Spa Institute and Veľká Fatra and Malá Fatra Hotels. During the era of the
Slovak State
Slovak may refer to:
* Something from, related to, or belonging to Slovakia (''Slovenská republika'')
* Slovaks, a Western Slavic ethnic group
* Slovak language, an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages
* Slovak, Arkan ...
, the spa was taken over by the Workers' Social Insurance Company in 1941 that built an open-air swimming pool with thermal water. In 1959, Rajecké Teplice was given a status of a spa town, demarcating the area of the spa and ensuring protection of the healing springs.
In modern times, the biggest boom of the spa can be seen after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Rajecké Teplice was declared to be a city in 1989.
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Rajecké Teplice is
twinned with:
*
Dolní Benešov,
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
*
Wilamowice,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
*
Epe,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
References
External links
*
Official Town websiteOfficial Spa website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajecke Teplice
Cities and towns in Slovakia
Spa towns in Slovakia