Thermalpark Dunajská Streda – The Beginnings
The history of Dunajská Streda is inseparable from the history of Rye Island and the River Danube. For people living here, water meant life. Not only it was their living space, but also their livelihood depended on the Danube´s islets and reeds rich in fish. Eventually, the great river regulations in the second half of the 19th century completely transformed the landscape.
The first lido in the town was established in 1930 by Dunajská Streda Lido Company. It had two permanent built-in pools and was operational during the summer season. Its “attractions” included a wooden diving board, a water slide, and tennis and volleyball courts. The popular little lido operated until the 1960s.
By 1970, the use of thermal waters in Hungary had also aroused the interest of the local town council. Test drilling was carried out in the tertiary layer of the earth’s crust, and in the spring of 1971, good quality thermal water containing iodine, bromine and other minerals was obtained from a depth of 2,490 meters on the south-western outskirts of the town. The temperature of the springing thermal water was 86°C, and the flow was 14.5-16 litres per second.
Given its healing potential, plans for the construction of the future spa were completed as early as 1971. The first 25×50 m large swimming pool of the thermal spa was handed over on 28 July 1973, welcoming 88,235 visitors in the first year and 180,000 visitors in the following year. In 1974, the “Italian pool” (12.5x25m) and the children’s pool were also completed.
The groundworks of the ever-expanding spa were carried out as part of volunteer social work. The “recreational pool” was also completed in 1975 – by which time the goal had become to provide spa treatment with certified medicinal waters.
By 1977, to provide shade, 600 trees had been planted in the twenty-hectare area, while 1,000 bushes and 1,300 roses beautifully blended with the environment. During the peak days of the summer, there were nine temporary outlets and two separate kiosks.
In 1981, the construction of the balneotherapy building was completed, and in 1982, the Jednota summer restaurant was opened. In 1983, the thermal park started the season with the use of 98°C medicinal water from another thermal spring.
In the 1980s, the ‘blessing and refreshing’ thermal water was available in six pools during the summer tourist season, but visitors could also use sports courts, volleyball and tennis courts, mini-golf courses, playgrounds and grassy areas. The services were also constantly expanding, the Finnish sauna and massage were already on offer at that time. Between 210,000 and 230,000 visitors a year were served by 24 permanent and 46 seasonal workers.
After the change of regime, The Thermal Park was finally returned to the competence of the local municipality on 1 December 1990.
The history of the Thermalpark Dunajská Streda is remarkable. In the past 50 years, the lido, designed for one pool, has far surpassed the founders’ dream.
The history of the spa is a great success story, especially in the past ten years, as it has achieved the most spectacular success in this short period by becoming one of the most popular and most visited resorts in Southern Slovakia.
Today, the resort awaits its visitors on 18 hectares with six outdoor and four indoor pools, a three-star hotel, and a myriad of services.