Kováčová: thermal spa and Holidaypark aquapark near Zvolen

Kováčová is a spa village on the south-western edge of the Zvolen Basin, 4 km west of Zvolen at the foot of the Kremnica Mountains; the village centre lies at 303 m. The spa relies on hot mineral water found by chance: in 1898 a borehole drilled in search of coal struck a 45.6 °C spring at a depth of 405 m in Triassic dolomites and limestones. It was used until 1964, when a new, more productive and hotter borehole was drilled. Today the same water supplies three facilities: the small Kúpele Kováčová spa with its Detvan treatment house, the National Rehabilitation Centre, and the year-round thermal aquapark Holidaypark Kováčová. For a traveller it is above all a place to sit in a 37–39 °C mineral pool or spend a day in thermal pools a few minutes from the R1 expressway.

Mineral waters and natural resources

At the borehole the water is 48.5 °C. It is a thermal, hypotonic mineral water of the sulphate-bicarbonate, calcium-magnesium type, very similar to the water of neighbouring Sliač – both spas lie on the same tectonic zone of volcanic origin, where hot springs reach the surface only through boreholes. The spa describes the local climate as sedative: the basin is sheltered from the wind (more than half the days of the year are calm), and the spa wood, mostly coniferous, freshens the air. The average annual temperature is 8 °C. In the spa wood there is the Kováčová pond (Kováčovský rybník), a quiet place for a walk and fishing.

What is treated

The spa works according to the national list of indications: musculoskeletal disorders (rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, hip arthrosis, back pain, conditions after injuries and operations including joint replacement), nervous system disorders (palsies, multiple sclerosis, polyneuropathies, Parkinson's disease, after-effects of stroke), as well as the digestive organs and liver after surgery, diabetes, the kidneys and urinary tract, and gynaecological diseases. Treatment is based on thermal baths in a sitting mineral pool and in individual tubs, followed by a dry wrap. These are complemented by underwater massage, pearl and hydromassage baths, peat and thermal wraps, electrotherapy, inhalations, classic massage and therapeutic exercise. Procedures are prescribed by a doctor; from 1 October 2026 a new outpatient clinic for physiatry, balneology and medical rehabilitation operates at the spa. Single procedures, such as the mineral pool with a wrap, can also be bought without a spa stay.

Pools and wellness

Holidaypark Kováčová stands on the site of an old swimming area whose history goes back to 1969; in 2013 part of the complex was rebuilt for year-round operation. Indoors there is a relaxation pool (32 °C), a 16-person whirlpool (36 °C), a children's pool and a 60-metre slide with light and sound effects. Outside, a sitting pool (38 °C) and a regeneration pool are open all year, a 26 °C swimming pool from May to October, and in summer a recreational pool and children's pools. The pools have geysers, massage jets and water spouts, and at weekends there is aqua aerobics and children's entertainment. The aquapark is currently being rebuilt: a renewed outdoor pool and a new wellness centre are promised for 2027, so some areas may be closed.

Practical information

Kováčová lies by the junction of the R1 expressway (Nitra – Banská Bystrica) with roads I/66 and I/69; Zvolen is 4 km away and Sliač airport 3 km; suburban buses run from Zvolen and Banská Bystrica. A mineral-pool session with a wrap takes about an hour, the aquapark from three hours to a full day. Opening hours and prices are summarised in the "At a glance" box.

Nearby: trails, a castle, Sliač

Straight from the spa the Kováčová, spa – Sedlo Tunel trail climbs into the Kremnica Mountains. In Zvolen it is worth visiting Zvolen Castle — Slovak National Gallery, and a few kilometres to the east lies the Sliač spa with its warm carbonated water.

Official website: kupelekovacova.sk

Photos: Pe3kZA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.