Climatic spas of the High Tatras: Nový Smokovec, Polianka, Kotlina

Nový Smokovec is the best known of the climatic spas of the High Tatras. It grew up in a spruce forest at about 1010 m, south-west of Starý Smokovec, with which it long ago merged into one settlement of the town of Vysoké Tatry. There are no mineral springs here: it is the mountain air that heals. Nearby, in Tatranská Polianka and Tatranská Kotlina, two more old sanatoria work in the same field – respiratory diseases. This page covers all three places together: separately there is little for a visitor without a referral to do in each of them, but together they explain well why the Tatras became an "air spa" more than a century ago.

History: Dr Szontagh and the sanatoria below Slavkovský štít

The founder of Nový Smokovec was the physician Mikuláš Szontagh (1843–1899), a native of Dolný Kubín and a graduate of the University of Vienna. Before the summer season of 1873 he became the spa doctor in Starý Smokovec, but the conditions there disappointed him. Between seasons Szontagh worked at seaside and mountain spas in Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy, including the tuberculosis sanatoria of Merano and Davos, and dreamt of an institution of that standard of his own in the Tatras. In the mid-1870s the community of Veľký Slavkov leased him a plot of forest for a symbolic fee and gave him timber for building free of charge. While digging the foundations, workers found a silver coin from the reign of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, and archaeologists later uncovered an ironworking site from the La Tène period. After the Second World War the sanatorium became a state spa, and since 1995 it has been run by the joint-stock company Kúpele Nový Smokovec. The main Palace building is a national cultural monument; it was restored together with the pool in 2014–2015.

The natural resource: Tatra air

The spa describes its healing factor as follows: exceptionally clean air, about 1817 hours of sunshine a year and strong ultraviolet radiation, reduced atmospheric pressure (about 673 torr), moderate humidity, and air rich in ozone and the fragrant essential oils of the conifer forest. The settlement lies above the layer of dust and smoke, so the air is almost free of bacteria and allergens. In Tatranská Polianka (1005 m) the sanatorium adds dry air, a reduced partial pressure of oxygen and an even daytime temperature without sharp swings.

What is treated

The spa in Nový Smokovec treats the following groups under Annex 6 of Slovak Health Care Act 577/2004: non-tuberculous respiratory diseases (chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, conditions after surgery on the upper and lower airways, allergic rhinitis, pulmonary fibrosis), conditions after thyroid surgery for thyrotoxicosis, neuroses after psychiatric treatment, and occupational diseases – pneumoconiosis, occupational asthma, airway damage from caustic fumes and dust, and the effects of ionising radiation. Procedures include inhalations of aerosols based on mineral waters, oxygen therapy, the "Tatra" nasal shower, short-wave diathermy, light therapy, massages, therapeutic exercise and a salt cave. Dr Guhr's Sanatorium in Tatranská Polianka specialises in pneumology, allergology and rehabilitation after cancer treatment, while the sanatorium in Tatranská Kotlina focuses on respiratory diseases, its speciality being speleotherapy – breathing exercises in the nearby Belianska Cave. Procedures are prescribed by a doctor after an examination.

Pool and relaxation

The RELAX zone of the spa in Nový Smokovec has a 12-metre elliptical pool with slightly salty water (0.3 % table salt), 150–180 cm deep and 26–28 °C, with a counter-current and a direct passage to a Finnish sauna (90 °C), plus a rest room with a view of Slavkovský štít. Entry is paid; the spa does not publish hours or prices for visitors without a stay, so a visit has to be arranged at reception.

Practical information

Nový Smokovec is easiest to reach from Poprad: the Tatra Electric Railway runs from Poprad-Tatry station (about 15 km), buses stop at the station in Starý Smokovec about 500 m from the spa, and by car you take road 534. From the Polish border at Lysá Poľana the route leads through Tatranská Kotlina on road II/537. Dr Guhr's Sanatorium stands in Tatranská Polianka, a few kilometres to the west, and the Tatranská Kotlina sanatorium is near Belianska Cave. All three facilities are open all year.

Nearby: trails, peaks, sights

The spa is a handy base for walks: the trail Starý Smokovec, TEŽ station – Velická Poľana starts from the station in Starý Smokovec, and the easy walk to the Studený potok Waterfalls and Hrebienok suits those who came to treat their breathing too – at their own pace and after asking the doctor.

Official website: kupelens.sk

Photos: PhDr. Pavol Svetoň, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Akul59, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Pavol Svetoň, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Jozef Kotulič, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ivan Bohuš, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.