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• Edition 2011

Krynica-Zdrój

Krynica is a famous 19th-century health resort situated in southern Poland, close to Nowy Sącz, between the Sądecki and Niski Beskid Mountains, at the altitude of 500 to 750 metres. Known as “the pearl among Poland’s spas”, it has been celebrated not only for its highly coveted mineral waters and mudbaths, but also for its rather mild climate, beneficial to the health, its unique atmosphere and remarkable architecture.

The first scientific record of the Krynica spring, together with a water analysis, is to be found in the work of a professor of Lvov University, which he published following several journeys to the Carpathian Mountains in the years 1788-1795. In 1807, the town formally became a spa and it was not long before the first medicine doctor opened a practice there.

The Old Mineral Baths (1866), situated next to Main Pump-Room, are one of the most characteristic buildings in Krynica. You can taste here water from different springs. Moreover, there is a concert hall and a hothouse inside. Opposite, there is an old neorenaissance Spa House (1889) with a pump-room of “Mieczysław” water.

Krynica Zdrój has 23 mineral water intakes and 18 boreholes. Krynica’s mineral waters are known for their therapeutic properties and are beneficial in the treatment of numerous diseases. Besides the drinking therapy, the waters are used in mineral-acid-carbonic baths. For visitors wishing to try out the drinking therapy, there is a choice of twenty kinds of mineral springs. While visiting one of the public pump rooms, you have to try out the purple-brown Zuber. Considered to be the most concentrated mineral water in Europe, it certainly tastes and smells disgusting enough to be memorable. It is very strongly mineralized, has a big amount of ion Na+. Other clearer and tastier waters are Zdrój Glówny, Slotwinka Jan, Józef, Mieczysław and Tadeusz. In Krynica Zdrój a lot of illnesses are cured.

Tourists should take time to visit the Nikifor Museum. It was founded in 1995 and houses seventy-seven paintings by Nikifor, a self-taught painter whose works first received recognition in the 1930s. The style of his painting is usually called naive art, and his preferred subjects were urban landscapes, buildings and churches.

To admire views of the mountains, take the gondola railway to Jaworzyna Mountain (1114 m). The railway route is 2111m long and it runs from Czarny Potok. If the weather is clear, you will even be able to see the Tatras from the peak. Another idea to consider is the funicular train ride to Góra Parkowa, and next to the station can be found a runway tower for the bobsleigh track that kids will surely enjoy.

Some tourists use Krynica as a base for exploring its surroundings. The region is home to a scattering of small villages, some of which you really should not miss. In Berest, Polany, Tylicz and Mochnaczka Nizna you can find orthodox churches. However, the oldest orthodox church in the area (dating from 1643), and one of the best known, is located in Powroznik. The neighbouring town of Muszyna is also a popular spa destination due to its mineral springs.