Przerzeczyn-Zdroj
Przerzeczyn-Zdroj is probably the smallest spa resort in Poland. The village comes under the administrative municipality of Niemcza which is found in Dzierzoniow County in Lower Silesia. The resort has the characteristics of a lowland spa that lies close to the Sudety Mountains in a valley surrounded by the Niemcza and Strzelin Uplands. The climate is moderately stimulating and tempered because of the village’s position in a valley. Microclimatic zones also occur here. The primary elements of the spa at Przerzeczyn-Zdroj are its climate and the naturally occurring mineral waters which are rich in sulphides, radon or iron. The radon and sulphide waters with the complex medicinal properties are used in balneotherapy whilst the water with traces of calcium and magnesium are drunk for their therapeutic effect.
The first mention of Przerzeczyn dates back to 1264 but was pronounced „Przyrzyce” which reflected its Slavic etymology. In the period of German colonisation the village was called Diersdorf till the end of the 19th century and following that Bad Dirsdorf till 1945. The history of the spa can be traced to 1802 when Count von Pfeil, the ancestral owner of the Przerzeczyn estates, built around the source of the spring water with the intention of using it for medicinal purposes. The bathing facilities started out on a small scale, in a small wooden shack, but as news spread far and wide about the therapeutic qualities of the waters the initial two baths were supplemented with four more. With even more visitors arriving, a Spa House was built in 1824 and a doctor was especially brought in to look after the needs of patients. By 1840 the facilities were modernised and expanded guaranteeing accommodation for guests. Work was also started on the spa park which gave the town a health resort charm.
Today, with the distinction of being the smallest active spa resort in Poland, it has four sanatoriums, a small spa park, with a swimming pool and fitness and rehabilitation trails, and a club with a café and a library for the use of its patients. There are three sources of spring water within the resort which specialises in the treatment of traumatic orthopaedic, rheumatic and neurological diseases as well as sciatica, osteoporosis, peripheral limb ischemia and mild hypertension. Rehabilitating work is carried out on patients with conditions after trauma and neurological or orthopaedic surgery.
The spa resort at Przerzeczyn-Zdroj is today an oasis of peace and calm. The therapeutic baths use radon infused sulphide water where the radioactive radon gas that is found naturally in the water is broken down and expelled from the body. Przerzeczyn-Zdroj is one of only a few spa resorts in the world that natural radon water is used therapeutically. After surgery, patients can spend time in the Spa Café, actively use the fitness trail, wander along the banks of the River Sleza with its picturesque cascades and waterfalls or visit the nearby town of Niemcza. There are organised tours to the Dendrological Gardens in Wojslawice, the Stolowe Mountains and the Cistercian monastery in Henrykow. It is worth coming to Przerzeczyn-Zdroj to find mental calm and to restore the body’s vital forces in a complimentary and welcoming environment.
