The use of mineral waters for treatment of various ailments goes back to ancient times, when the Romans developed places for taking a cure around existing mineral springs. In the Middle Ages kings and princes rediscovered the benefit of drinking waters with therapeutic properties to cure various ailments. In the 18th and 19th centuries the aristocracy developed resorts around the sources of these waters at which they gathered to relax and meet each other. Some of the oldest spas in continuous existence are located in Central Europe, in present day Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary. Click Here for a map of some of the towns and spas visited by Beethoven.
The district town of Teplice, which today is home to more than 53,000 people, is
an historic spa town in the Podkrusnohori ("Under the Ore Mountains") Region. Teplice
is the oldest spa in Bohemia.
The most valuable possession of the city is its thermal
Pravridlo ("Old Spring") spring, with a temperature of 42 degree Celsius . The beneficial
effects of the water, which contains radon, have been used in treatments for more
than eight centuries. Pravridlo has been endangered several times and even stopped
gushing once, after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
The Teplice spa experienced its greatest
boom during the first half of the nineteenth century, when it was sometimes called
the "social salon of Europe". The beautiful Classical and Empire style spa buildings
helped to attract the likes of Goethe, Beethoven, Paganini, Jungmann, Palacky, and
Neruda.
Every year, a varied cultural program is prepared for the spa's guests and
for tourists. A highlight is the annual festival celebrating Ludwig van Beethoven
that takes place in September and October.
Among the historical monuments of interest
to tourists are: the chateau church (built in the sixteenth century in the pseudo-
Karlovy Vary, better known by its German name, Karlsbad, is the most famous Bohemian spa. Situated on the Tepla river, it was named after the Bohemian king and German and Holy Roman emperor Charles (Karl) IV who allegedly found the springs in 1358 during a hunting expedition. In the 19th century, royalty came here from all over Europe for treatment. Among the famous who visited Karlsbad are Goethe, Schiller, Beethoven, Chopin, and Karl Marx. More than 60 hot springs have been found here and 12 are used in spa treatment. The springs, which vary in temperature from 34 to 73 degrees C, are used in drinking cures and for baths.
Franzensbad has its origin near the former free city of Eger, called Cheb today.
The medicinal springs were already known since the 15th century. At that time the
citizens of Eger -
Only 26 kilometres south of Vienna, Baden offers a rich variety of baths and springs,
parks and coffeehouses. It was the favourite summer residence of Beethoven, and he
stayed there many times over the years. Mozart had also frequented the spa. The origin
of Baden lies in the healing powers of the sulphur springs. The Romans experienced
and enjoyed the waters, calling the place "Aquae". Its thermal water, which emerges
from the springs at a temperature of 36?C, is rich in valuable minerals.
Every day,
about 4 million litres of superior thermal sulphur water are used in Baden. After
the devastating fire of 1812, Baden was rebuilt in the Biedermeier style.
TEPLICE -
KARLSBAD -
FRANZENSBAD -
BADEN -
House Beethoven stayed in Baden
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