Jaskynný parný kúpeľ "Parenica"

Cave Steam Bath "Parenica"

Useful Information

Location:	Sklené Teplice - kúpele 100, 966 03 Sklené Teplice. (48.5273011, 18.8644994)
Open:	Parenica: All year Mon-Thu 10-19, Fr-Sun 9-19. Mining Bath: All year Mon-Fri 13-18, Sat 10-19, Sun 10-18. Maria Theresa Bath: All year Mon-Thu 8-17, Fri, Sat 8-18, Sun 9-17. [2025]
Fee:	Parenica: Adults EUR 12. Mining Bath: Adults EUR 9, Students EUR 8, Seniors EUR 8, Disabled EUR 8. Maria Theresa Bath: Adults EUR 10, Students EUR 9, Seniors EUR 9, Disabled EUR 9. [2025]
Classification:	Karst Spring Karst Cave Hypogene Caves Swimming in Caves
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=42 °C.
Guided tours:	self guided, max sta 20 minutes.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Liečebné termálne kúpele, a.s., 966 03 Sklené Teplice 100, Tel: +421-905-413-297, Tel: +421-905-576-350. E-mail: E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1340	first written mention with the name Topliche.
1350	Glassworks founded.
1786	first international scientific congress ever organized by Ignaz von Born.
1868	the spa is acquired by the Altsohler Gasparetz family.

Description

photography — Parenica, the traditional Slovak cheese. Public Domain.

The Jaskynný parný kúpeľ "Parenica" (Cave Steam Bath "Parenica") is a natural cave, which is also a spring of thermal water. The hot water actually created the cave by dissolving the rock. In other words, it is not a normal steam bath. Here, the hot water does not come from a heater, and it is not possible to add anything to the water. Here the water comes directly from the spring at the rear end of the cave. This is quite unique and there are only about a dozen places like this on Earth.

The name Parenica is based on a massive flowstone formation in the middle of the cave, which looks like a huge smoked cheese. Parenica is a traditional Slovak cheese which is usually smoked cheese, cream and yellow in color, which is darkened by steaming. Obviously, the flowstone resembles this local specialty.

The water is obviously rich in calcium, but also in other minerals, and the heat has its own curative effect. The bath is beneficial for all kinds musculoskeletal disorders. It is used for healing after surgeries or injuries, and for treating rheumatism, back pain, joint pain, arthritis or osteoporosis. It is alos used for drinking, where it helps in the treatment of osteoporosis, functional impairment of intestinal motility, biliary dyskinesia, and disorders in the production of pancreatic enzymes. It also supports treatment for diabetes and urinary tract infections. And finally, it’s a nutritional supplement for numerous mineral.

High or low temperatures are always dangerous if you spend too much time under these conditions. This is valid for high temperatures even if you actually like it, and so the maximum time to stay in the cave is restricted to 20 minutes. The bath is followed by a 20-minute dry wrap in the relaxation room. They say this enables the absorption of beneficial substances into the body and thus supports the regeneration of the body. The bath is not suitable for children under 12, patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system or high blood pressure.

Now for the geological and speleological details. Obviously, the thermal water in limestone creates hypogene caves by dissolving the limestone. It also produces limestone deposits at the springs, but unlike cold karst springs there are no tufa deposits. The hot water reduces plant growth, and so the limestone is deposite without the pores created by embedded plants. The result looks more like rimstone pools or flowstone in caves. Several small springs produce such deposits which can be seen when walking along the river.

The town Sklené Teplice is located in a deep valley surrounded by the forested Štiavnické vrchy mountains, which is actually quite typical for the country. Its first written mention with the name Topliche was in 1340, at that time it was a lumberjack settlement where inhabitants supplied wood to the Schemnitz mines. Glassworks were founded here in 1350 to produce chemical glass for the extraction of gold and silver from the mined ore. Again the surrounding forests were the source for charcoal, which was needed in large amounts for making glas. The town was named Sklenô, Glashütte, or Glaserhey/Glaserhay, which all relates to glass. So the modern name of the town is the combination of those two names. The glassworks were abandoned during the 17th century.

A new amalgamation process for extracting gold and silver from ores was developed by Ignaz von Born, a famous Austrian mining engineer and scientist who lived in Schemnitz (Banská Štiavnica). He was an honorary member of numerous scientific organisation in Europe and presented his process to an international audience right here at Sklené Teplice in 1786 with a large-scale demonstration facility. This is considered the first international scientific congress ever. It also led to the foundation of the Societät der Bergbaukunde, the world’s first scientific society for mining studies.

The thermal springs were obviously known since the town was founded, and the locals used the hot water for bathing. From the 16th century people visited the town for the hot springs, there was a spa. But the scientific exploration of the water started in the late 18th century with the first chemical analysis of the water. The springs and buildings were acquired by the Gasparetz family from Altsohl in 1868. It seems the family developed the spa and operated it until they were expropriated by the Czechoslovak state under the Beneš Decrees.