Vodný raj thermal pools in Vyhne

Vodný raj Vyhne ("Water Paradise") is a public pool complex with thermal water in the village of Vyhne, in a quiet wooded valley of the Štiavnické vrchy hills near the Hron valley. It is built and run by the village: the complex opened in 2007 on the site of an open-air pool that local sportsmen had built with their own hands in 1961 and that operated until 2005. In summer the large outdoor pools are open, and all year round there is an indoor pool with warm water, saunas and massages.

Vyhne has a long spa history. Its warm springs are mentioned as early as the 13th century, in the 15th century guests came from all over Europe, and in the 18th century the baths, owned by the town of Banská Štiavnica, enjoyed their first great boom – Prince Francis II Rákóczi and his wife took the cure here. In the late 19th century the spa was revived by the physician Štefan Boleman, author of several studies of the local waters. In 1938 the baths passed to the state and lost their purpose, and after the Second World War, when the spa buildings burned down, they were never restored. What survives of the old spa is the Art Nouveau Chapel of Our Lady Queen of 1912–1913, the first work of the later world-famous architect Ladislav Hudec.

Thermal water

The pools are filled with natural thermal water that is 36.5–37 °C at the source. According to the operator it is an iron-calcium-magnesium water with free carbon dioxide, iron and silicic acid. It is piped through insulated pipes to a plant room under the pool, filtered, disinfected and cooled where needed, so temperatures differ across the complex – from 29 to 36 °C. The water was once used for treatment, but today Vyhne has no spa status, so Vodný raj is a place for bathing and relaxation, not for doctor-prescribed procedures.

Pools and wellness

In summer, from June to September, the large multipurpose pool with thermal water is open: a non-swimmers' area (11.5 × 21.5 m), two swimming sections 25 and 50 m long and a 4 m deep diving basin; the water is 29–30 °C. Next to it are a relaxation pool with water features (30–32 °C), a slide pool and a children's pool for kids under six. All year round the indoor pool in the sports and relaxation centre is open, with water at 36 °C, hydromassage loungers, a counter-current and a jacuzzi, and a passage outdoors. The wellness centre has four saunas (dry, infrared, steam), a relaxation area and massages, plus bowling and squash. The operator advises people with cardiovascular disease to limit their time in hot water; children and elderly people must not be left in it unsupervised.

Practical information

The complex lies at the edge of the village, and the bus stop "Vyhne, Vodný raj" is by the entrance. Local roads lead to Vyhne from the Hron valley (from Žarnovica or Hliník nad Hronom), and Banská Štiavnica is about 9 km away. The main car park is paid, with the first 15 minutes free. It is open daily from 13:00 to 21:00, last entry at 19:30; the phones are answered only during opening hours. The operator publishes its current price list only as an image, so check ticket prices at the desk.

Nearby: trails, peaks, sights

The Andrej Kmeť Trail passes the complex, and the route Červená Studňa Saddle – Vyhne descends into the village from the ridge of the Štiavnické vrchy. A few kilometres away is another thermal spa of the region, Sklené Teplice with the Parenica cave bath, and in the hills above Banská Štiavnica it is worth seeing Počúvadlo — historic mining lake below Sitno.

Official website: vodnyrajvyhne.sk

Photos: Jan Starec, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Michal Jakubský, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.