Bardejovské Kúpele – Mineral Water, Trails and Spa History

Bardejovské Kúpele combines mineral water, wellness, short educational trails and a spa history visible in several locations. The focus is on the springs and the various ways to discover the town and its surroundings: from the museum in the spa house and the Sisi Educational Trail to longer routes towards Stebnícka Magura.

Mineral Water and Wellness

The mineral waters of Bardejovské Kúpele are used mainly for drinking cures, mineral baths and inhalations. The mineral water has natural healing properties; it is weakly to moderately mineralized, bicarbonate-chloride, sodium-bearing, iron-bearing and carbonated. It is cold and hypotonic and has an elevated boric acid content. This gives the destination a clearly recognizable profile that distinguishes it from an ordinary spa stay.

The wellness complex is open to spa guests as well as visitors and guests from the wider region and abroad. It comprises a water world and a sauna world. In addition, Bardejovské Kúpele has an outdoor swimming pool with water heated to 26 °C, a main pool measuring 33 × 15 m and a children’s pool measuring 4 × 4 m.

Educational Trails and Routes in the Surrounding Area

For a shorter loop, the Sisi Educational Trail is a good option. It has seven stations, is 2.3 km long and takes approximately 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. The Čierna mláka Forest Educational Trail is open year-round and self-guided; its starting point is at Nad jazierkom. Three loop routes are available there, measuring 1.9 km, 3.7 km and 3.9 km.

The other routes also differ considerably in length and destination. The Kamenná hora lookout tower can be reached from the center of Bardejovské Kúpele in no more than 20 minutes. A red-marked hiking trail connects Bardejovské Kúpele with Bardejov. The red-marked route to Stebnícka Magura starts at the outdoor swimming pool and leads to the summit in about two hours. The area around Stebnícka Magura is designated as a national nature reserve because of its primeval forests; the highest protection level, level 5, applies there.

Sisi, Spa History and Folk Architecture

The Muzeálny apartmán Sisi Museum is located on the ground floor of the Alžbeta spa house. Sisi stayed in Bardejovské Kúpele from July 1, 1895, to July 22, 1895. The exhibition “Bardejovské Kúpele – Oasis of Peace and Health” traces the development of the town in four exhibition rooms, from its first written mention to the present day. This first written mention dates from 1247; regular spa treatments began in Bardejovské Kúpele in the 15th century.

Another focus is regional folk culture. Across an area of 1.6 hectares, an ethnopark contains 31 exhibits presenting the folk culture and architecture of the Slovak and Ruthenian populations. The folk architecture exhibition includes a unique water-powered drilling rig for producing wooden water pipes made predominantly from pinewood. The folk architecture exhibition is the oldest exhibition of its kind in Slovakia.

Getting to Bardejov

City bus routes and some intercity buses provide connections with Bardejov. The bus journey from Bardejov bus station to Bardejovské Kúpele takes approximately 10 minutes. This allows you to combine your stay with Bardejov’s cultural attractions without losing sight of the short routes and facilities in Bardejovské Kúpele.

Discover More Places

More destinations for your Slovakia research: Smilno, Fričkovce, Stebnícka Huta, Zborov, Bartfeld, Bartošovce, Regetovka, Malcov.

To the overarching travel overview: Bardejov.