Turčianske Teplice

Turčianske Teplice (Bad Stuben; Stubnyafürdő) is a town in central Slovakia in the Žilina Region. It is about halfway between Martin and Kremnica. The town's population is around 6,500. The town was the historic center of the Upper Turiec subregion within the Turiec region (comitatus), and now enjoys the status of a capital of the Turčianske Teplice District.

History
The town is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe, and was originally known as Štubnianske Teplice. It was first mentioned in text dating from 1281 when King Ladislaus IV of Hungary granted the lands surrounding the springs to a Count Peter. The spa became popular with royalty, including King Sigismund of Hungary and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. The recuperative abilities of the spa were first studied by the University of Halle medical student Jan Lisschoviny.

Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Štubnianske Teplice was part of Turóc County within the Kingdom of Hungary. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the Slovak Republic. The town was renamed Turčianske Teplice in 1946. In 1951 Turčianske Teplice merged with the community of Vieska.

Geography
Turčianske Teplice lies at an altitude of 520 m above sea level and covers an area of 33.483 km2. It lies in the Turiec Basin and is surrounded in proximity by the Greater Fatra, Kremnica, Žiar and Lesser Fatra mountain ranges.

The divisions of the town include:
 * Diviaky (1951–1955 and 1971)
 * Dolná Štubňa (incorporated in 1971)
 * Turčiansky Michal (incorporated in 1971)
 * Turčianske Teplice

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the town had 7,031 inhabitants. 97.98% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 0.67% Czech and 0.37% Germans. The religious make-up was 48.09% Roman Catholics, 30.56% Lutherans, and 17.24% people with no religious affiliation.

Twin towns — sister cities
Turčianske Teplice is twinned with:


 * 🇨🇿 Holešov, Czech Republic
 * 🇨🇿 Havířov, Czech Republic
 * 🇵🇱 Skawina, Poland
 * 🇵🇱 Wisła, Poland
 * 🇷🇸 Aranđelovac, Serbia

Notable people

 * Mikuláš Galanda, a modern painter, graphic designer and illustrator.
 * Jozef Lettrich, politician