Piešťany: the Spa Island, sulphur mud and thermal baths

Piešťany is Slovakia's best-known spa, spread out in the Váh valley between the Považský Inovec and the Little Carpathians. Its heart is the Spa Island (Kúpeľný ostrov), a strip of land between the left bank of the Váh and its dead arm where hot sulphur springs rise from the depths. The spa treats mainly diseases of the musculoskeletal system, and the town's symbol is the Crutch Breaker (Barlolámač), a man snapping a crutch over his knee: a patient who left without it. Piešťany is first mentioned in 1113, Juraj Wernher wrote the first detailed description of its springs in 1545, and in 1642 Adam Trajan Benešovský devoted a Latin poem to the baths. The golden age came in 1889–1940, when the Winter family leased the spa: Ľudovít Winter made Piešťany world-famous, and the Thermia Palace, the Irma baths and the Colonnade Bridge were built. Today the spa is run by the Ensana group.

Mineral waters and natural resources

On the Spa Island water rises from 11 sources through cracks in the earth's crust from depths of 60–200 m. At the surface it is 67–69 °C, so it is cooled before use. It is a moderately mineralised sulphate-bicarbonate calcium-sodium water with hydrogen sulphide (according to the spa, 6–10 mg/l of sulphur and 4.7 mg/l of hydrogen sulphide), used mainly for baths and also for drinking cures. The second treasure is Piešťany sulphur mud, one of the best-known peloids in the world. It forms in the bypass arm of the Váh, where the thermal water flows out; once extracted it matures for at least a year in special pools, has a buttery consistency, a steel-blue to black colour and cools four times more slowly than water. It is applied to the body at about 45 °C.

What is treated

The main profile is diseases of the musculoskeletal system and chronic inflammatory joint conditions; the spa also runs a dedicated comprehensive programme for people with Parkinson's disease. The key procedures are sulphur mud (wraps and the Bahnisko, a pool with a natural mud bottom through which the springs rise), the Zrkadlisko, a pool of thermal water at 36–39 °C, individual thermal, pearl and carbonic baths, the dry carbon dioxide bath and a salt cave. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor after an examination; individual procedures can also be bought separately from the price list.

Bath houses and procedures for visitors

Three spa houses operate on the island. The Art Nouveau Irma (1910–1912) stands right above the springs: it keeps the historic Bahnisko and Zrkadlisko and offers more than 60 procedures. Balnea is the largest balneotherapy centre in Central Europe, with more than 65 procedures, a gym, saunas and indoor and outdoor pools. The neoclassical Napoleon Baths (Napoleonské kúpele) were built by Count Jozef Erdődy around 1820–1822 and today offer more than 40 procedures. Procedures are also sold to people who are not taking a cure here: you can book by phone at the house you want to use, or online, and pay in cash or by card; arrive 15 minutes early.

Practical information

The Spa Island lies opposite the town centre: the Colonnade Bridge (1931–1933, architect Emil Belluš) and the Krajinský Bridge lead to it. Piešťany is easy to reach by train on the Bratislava – Žilina line; the station is about 2 km from the island. Shower before water procedures; a spa skirt is provided for the Zrkadlisko and the Bahnisko. Contraindications include acute and infectious diseases, pregnancy and uncontrolled blood pressure; some procedures require a medical examination. Opening hours and sample prices are listed in the summary block.

Nearby: trails and other spas

From the Colonnade Bridge starts the trail Piešťany, colonnade bridge – Čertova pec, motel to a cave once inhabited by Neanderthals, and the long Hlohovec – Trenčín, Hotel Elizabeth runs nearby along the Považský Inovec. Up the Váh lies another sulphur spa, Trenčianske Teplice: the Hammam and sulphur thermal baths, and to the west, in Záhorie, Smrdáky: a hydrogen-sulphide spa for skin diseases.

Official website: ensanahotels.com

Photos: Miro Svorc (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Belisarius~skwiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; tomi.cc, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing. Mgr. Jozef Kotulič, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.