Draft:Spa Sliač

Introduction
The Slovak Republic has 138 towns, but only a few of them belong to the category of "spa towns." Out of these only one has been given the name Pearl of the Hron River Valley: it was Sliač.

History of Sliač
It is situated in an attractive natural landscape - on both banks of the Hron River, between the towns of Zvolen and Banská Bystrica. We do not know exactly when the first man first appeared in Sliač. The archaeological research so far testifies to the prehistoric settlement of this place. Although it is not possible to give specific evidence, it is more than certain that there were already Slavic settlements on the sites of the old villages of Rybáre and Hájniky at the end of the 1st century AD. The nature connected also the past of Sliač expressed in its coat of arms with a spring of water, fish, bow, and arrow. Here the rich thermal spring on its wandering over millennia kept depositing the travertine sediments.

The Gothic Church of the bishop St. Nicolas built here in 1263 underlines the religious and cultural importance of Hájniky. The nobility and also citizens of Zvolen were attracted by thermal springs near Rybáre. They were visited also by the Hungarian king Mathias Corvinus with his wife Beatrix of Naples. In his suite was also the Pope's legate, a man of learning Aenea Silvius Piccolomini who in his cosmography had also mentioned the spring of Rybáre. It should be added that Piccolomini had become Pope Pius II. The curative springs were perhaps visited also by the commander Jan Jiskra of Brandis who with his garrison spent some time at the Zvolen Castle.

Reformation found its way to the region rather early - the local church started to be used by the Protestants of Augsburg creed, which in the 16th century created majority over the Roman Catholics. The extending book printing and rising education were important factors propagating curative properties of the local springs.

First written mention of Sliač
The first written mention of Sliač is related to the privilege charter of the town of Zvolen. In 1243 King Belo IV gave Zvolen new privileges. The land of Halász (Rybáre) is also mentioned here. The great forest needed reliable guardians and good gamekeepers, who supplied supplies for the Deserted Castle. In a document from 1254, fishermen in the village of Rybáre are already mentioned. The decisive influence on the life and development of the Hájniky and Rybáre was first the Deserted Castle, then the Zvolen Castle, and later the town of Zvolen. These servant settlements, later villages, developed economically and socially over the years.

Sliač owes its name and popularity primarily to its healing mineral water and picturesque environment. Tens of thousands of years ago, a spring gushed from the depths of the earth, which predetermined the historical development of this place and its reputation. But some people were able to use their art and diligence to build one of the most sought-after spa towns and a settlement with a vision to future as a spa town, which began to be built in 1969.

Mutual ambitions
Inhabitants from both sides of the Hron River, the Hájničans and the Rybárčans, already in the first half of the 1950s came up with the idea of living together in one common village. This topic was the subject of frequent conversations in various places, as well as in discussions at public meetings of the municipal representatives with the citizens in both municipalities. It had a certain logical and rational justification. The historical givenness of the villages has always predetermined the mutual coexistence of the inhabitants and common cultural, social, and working interests.

There was the Sliač spa, incorporated into the Rybáre cadastre, which with its more than two hundred years of well-known spa uniqueness predetermined the perspective of this Rybáre - Hájnice area as a future spa centre. These facts, together with the number of inhabitants and the area, were the prerequisites for the creation of a strong territorial and administrative unit, which was also envisaged in the future project of the town Zvolen - Banská Bystrica.

The representatives of both municipalities, Hájniky and Rybáre, with the support of their citizens, agreed to live in a joint municipality under the name of Sliač. In December 1959, the district and regional authorities also gave their approval to the merger of the municipalities of Hájniky and Rybáre.

Infrastructure
One of the main tasks of the village leadership was to build local infrastructure. This was primarily in the areas of trade, services, transport, and health care. These tasks became the content of the municipality's plans, which were evaluated and updated annually. The financial state bodies of the district and the region were mainly involved in the solution of individual problem areas. A large part was provided by the municipality's resources. During this period there were 2569 permanently registered citizens in the municipality. The building of the health center in Hájniky created the possibility of establishing a health district for the surrounding villages of Veľká Lúka, Sampor, Lukavica, Kováčová and Sielnica.

Treatment in the Spa
The village of Sliač was more and more often mentioned and became known especially thanks to the spa, which was a unique place where history, tradition, beautiful nature, and unique healing springs were combined. Spa Sliač is historically the first spa in Slovakia, known for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases thanks to the unique natural source of healing mineral water. With more than 200 years of tradition in providing spa care, they specialize in the treatment of several health complications. Excellent results are also achieved in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, women's diseases, oncological diseases, childhood obesity and post-covid syndrome.

1960s in the Spa - Golden years
Sliač was the seat of the Directorate of the Sliač State Spa with the spa organizations of the Natural Healing Spa (NHS) Brusno, Číž, Dudince, Sklené Teplice and Kováčová. More than 7000 patients were treated in the spa annually. Approximately 600 patients per year underwent outpatient treatment. Of this total, there were around 720 pediatric patients and 70 from abroad. The spa's patients were cared for by more than 430 employees in various professions. Sliač Spa was the largest employer in Sliač.

General information
Spa guests appreciate the effects of the healing water, the quality of the treatments, as well as the atmosphere of the extensive spa park, where there is space for relaxation, but also for active sports activities. The spa area is rich in historical heritage. The Palace Spa Hotel***, as well as the spa park, are declared national cultural monuments. Spa Sliač is one of the few spas in Slovakia that has a truly strong historical bathing background.

It lies both in the architecture and in the memories of important Slovak personalities of cultural, social, and public life who used to come to Sliač to regenerate body and soul.

There are renovated room facilities, enriched gastronomy offers, and various cultural or social events that are regularly organized.

Mineral water and granulated gas
The mineral healing water of the Sliač springs is medium mineralized with an isothermal temperature of 33.3 °C and a high CO2 content. The ideal temperature of the water preserves all the active substances originally contained in it and it is directly used for spa water treatments without any modifications. The unique natural hot spring gas is 98% carbon dioxide and is the only spa in Slovakia that uses it directly for therapeutic purposes without any artificial intervention. Its unparalleled influence on the organism is therefore highly appreciated medically.

Bath CO2
Duration: 15 + 15 minutes

General description of the procedure:

Sitting water bath in isothermal natural healing water /medium mineralized, low thermal, slightly acidic, hypotonic, carbonic, calcium-fermented, with increased fluorine content/ using CO2 penetration from the bath through the intact skin cover into the human body.

Contraindications:

-General contraindications to spa treatment

- Smoking

- Florid processes on the heart and blood vessels

- Hysteria

- Inclination to hypotension

- Haemodynamically relevant rhythm disturbances

- Severe anemia and polyglobulia

Aroma Bath
Duration: 15 minutes

General description of the procedure:

Sitting water bath with the addition of sea salt in isothermal natural healing water /medium mineralized, low thermal, slightly acidic, hypotonic, carbonic, sulfate-hydrogen carbonate, calcium-magnesium, with increased content of fluorine/ using the penetration of CO2 from the bath through the intact skin cover into the human body.

Contraindications:

- General contraindications to spa treatment

- Smoking

- Florid processes on the heart and blood vessels

- Hysteria

- Propensity to hypotension

- Haemodynamically relevant rhythm disturbances

- Severe anemia and polyglobulia

- Allergy to an adulterant

CO2 Pool
Duration: 30 + 10 minutes

General description of the procedure

Sitting pool water bath in isothermal natural healing water /medium mineralized, low thermal, slightly acidic, hypotonic, carbonic, sulfate-hydrogenated, sulfate-hydrogenated, calcium-carbonate, with increased fluorine content/ using the penetration of CO2 from the bath through the non-porous cover into the human body.

 Contraindications: 

- General contraindications to spa treatment

- Smoking

- Florid processes on the heart and blood vessels

- Hysteria

- Inclination to hypotension

- Haemodynamically relevant rhythm disturbances

- Severe anemia and polyglobulia

CO2 injections
Duration: 10 minutes

General description of the procedure:

Subcutaneous insufflation of thinner gas into predetermined application sites according to the schedule.

Contraindications:

- General contraindications to bathing treatment

- Smoking

- Infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic skin diseases

- Bleeding conditions

- Fear of injections

- Local inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue at the site of the intended injection

Paraffin (Parafinum Dorum)
Duration: 15 minutes

General description of the treatment:

A therapeutic procedure using local heat, the carrier of which is paraffin, which when solidified (52 - 56 °C) transfers a group heat of 35 kcal/kg to a localization as determined by the physician. The low conductivity of paraffin causes the heat from the solidifying paraffin to penetrate the body slowly, thus thoroughly overheating the tissues.

Contraindications:
- General contraindications to spa treatment

- Cardiac decompensation

- Nephritis, nephrosis

- Skin sensitivity disorders

- Skin diseases and purulent defects

- Inflammatory diseases in the acute stage

- Malignant tumours

- Thyrotoxicosis

- Acute inflammations

- Gastric and duodenal ulcers