Štós – Kúpele, Churches and Forest Park

Štós brings together the distinctive aspects of a stay in Slovakia within a compact thematic area: Kúpele Štós with speleotherapy and water facilities, churches bearing medieval and modern traces, a historically shaped forest park, and Polnerová lúka, associated with the POLNER CUP. This creates a contrast between peace, culture and winter sporting activity when choosing the destination.

Speleotherapy and Kúpele Štós

Kúpele Štós offer a seven-day stay for speleotherapy. The therapy combines treatment in underground cave spaces with climate therapy. This distinctive form of stay sets Štós apart from a destination perceived solely through traditional sights or landscape experiences.

The grounds of Kúpele also have their own historical character. Original buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as from the interwar period, have been preserved there together with a protected historic park. The forest park of Kúpele Štós is designated as a national cultural monument of Slovakia. It contains more than 200 species of trees and flowers; streams with cascades and a fountain complete the grounds.

The Vital Water World facilities include water and steam baths, herbal, eucalyptus and Finnish saunas, a vital rain shower, a water parcours, a hydromassage pool and a tepidarium. Thus, in addition to speleotherapy, Štós has another clearly identifiable focus centred on water, steam and heat.

Churches with Different Historical Foci

The Roman Catholic church in Štós is probably the oldest building in the municipality. Its construction is dated to the second half of the 13th century. Inside, the main altar with a painting of Saint John of Nepomuk was erected in 1727. This date makes the altar an independent historical detail of the church.

The Evangelical church introduces a different chronological emphasis. Its construction began in 1786, and it was consecrated on 28 September 1788. A defining feature is an altar with an oil painting of Jesus Christ. Together, the two churches show that the history of the locality cannot be reduced to a single building or a single period.

Another cultural stop is the Zoltán Fábry Museum in Štós. One of its features is a valuable library. For a culture-oriented stay, the museum thus complements the religious buildings with a place explicitly connected to a collection.

Polnerová lúka and POLNER CUP

The POLNER CUP venue is located on Polnerová lúka on the northern side of Tupý vrch. It can be reached on foot from Štós in one to one and a half hours. Alongside the Kúpele and cultural themes, this specific walking time creates a clearly defined excursion perspective without equating the event itself with the locality’s year-round offering.

Ski races for the title “Champion of Štós” take place on Polnerová lúka. Since 1984, these races have been called the POLNER CUP. The event’s described features also include its catering: the participants prepare scrambled eggs in cauldrons over an open fire and add various types of homemade sausage. In this way, the POLNER CUP combines sporting competition with a distinctive local festival tradition.

Other places in the same broader area: Vyšný Medzev, Košická Belá, Medzev, Turňa Nad Bodvou, Nižná Myšľa, Malá Ida, Bukovec, Kechnec.

For the broader travel overview: Košice-Okolie District.