Rymanów-Zdrój: pump room, Tytus and Klaudia waters, graduation tower

Rymanów-Zdrój is a spa in the valley of the Tabor river in the Beskid Niski, about 4 km south of the town of Rymanów. Its buildings are scattered over forested slopes at 354–430 m, and in 2026 the spa celebrated its 150th anniversary. It all began on 16 August 1876: the estate owners Anna and Stanisław Potocki were looking for springs like those of neighbouring Iwonicz, and on a walk their son Józef came across a spring by the river. The chemist Tytus Sławik, a guest in Rymanów, found plenty of iodine and iron in the water; it was analysed in Vienna in 1877, and in 1881 the spa received its official concession. Children were treated here from early on – the first children's colony, Lwowska, opened in 1885 – and guests included Stanisław Wyspiański and the composer Ludomir Różycki. Today the spa is run by the joint-stock company Uzdrowisko Rymanów S.A.

Mineral waters and natural resources

In the 19th century the local springs were separated into three intakes named Tytus – after Tytus Sławik – Klaudia and Celestyna. All three are carbonated chloride-hydrogencarbonate-sodium iodide waters with a mineralisation of about 0.8% (over 8 g of dissolved minerals per litre), with natural carbon dioxide as well as boron and barium. Because of these trace elements the spa warns that they may be drunk or inhaled for no longer than a month and only on medical advice; their main use is therapeutic baths. Besides the three historic springs, the spa has the Rymanów Zdrój 2, 4 and 5 boreholes, and the Zimowit sanatorium serves the Mieczysław and Krokusowe waters. The spa's natural resources also include peat mud (borowina) and a mild climate: warm air descends into the valley as a foehn wind, and the pine forests enrich it with aromatic substances.

Pump room, graduation tower and spa park

The mineral water pump room is a small half-timbered building of 1908 in the centre of the spa park, built right over the Tytus, Klaudia and Celestyna springs; the springs themselves are visible inside. It is open to everyone – spa patients, residents and tourists – and plaques on the walls give the composition and indications of each water. Next to it stands a brine graduation tower where you can sit and breathe, and the Saint John Paul II park, about 4 ha, runs along both banks of the Tabor: old oaks and limes, two fountains, outdoor exercise equipment and wooden sculptures of Anna and Stanisław Potocki.

What is treated

According to the spa development plan, its treatment profiles are diseases of the upper and lower airways, heart disease and high blood pressure, orthopaedic and post-traumatic conditions, rheumatic diseases, kidney and urinary diseases, obesity and neurological diseases. Rymanów has a long tradition of treating rheumatism in children. The main procedures are balneotherapy with mineral and carbonic baths, peloid therapy, inhalations with natural medicinal water, hydro- and kinesitherapy, light and electrotherapy, and magnetotherapy. A course is prescribed by a doctor.

Single treatments can also be bought without a stay. From the 2026 price list: inhalation with natural medicinal water 17 zł, mineral bath 33 zł, carbonic bath in mineral water 37 zł, pearl bath 39 zł, peat-suspension bath 36 zł, underwater massage 44 zł, peat on the spine 65 zł, full peat wrap 98 zł, exercises in the mineral-water pool at Zimowit 28 zł.

Pool and sauna

The pool and sauna in the Świtezianka building (ul. Kasztanowa 4) are also open to visitors who are not staying at the spa: an hour in the pool costs 18 zł (children under 10: 11 zł), with passes for 7–30 hours; the sauna costs 21 zł for 15 minutes or 38 zł for 30 minutes for one person, less for pairs and groups. A separate therapeutic pool filled with mineral water operates in the Zimowit sanatorium, but only for prescribed treatments.

Practical information

Rymanów-Zdrój lies on regional road 887, a few kilometres from Rymanów; the nearest larger towns are Krosno and Sanok. The spa quarter can be walked in an hour; allow half a day with treatments. The spa states that its buildings are barrier-free. The pump room is open all year; the spa does not publish exact hours, so it is worth calling the customer service office before your visit.

Nearby: trails, peaks, sights

The Main Trail of Beskidy, the longest marked route of the Polish Carpathians, passes through the spa, so Rymanów pairs easily with a day hike. Five kilometres away is another old spa: Iwonicz-Zdrój: mineral-water pump room, pool and salt cave.

Official website: uzdrowisko-rymanow.com.pl

Photos: Henryk Bielamowicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.