Swoszowice
The Swoszowice Spa Estate is an administratively district of the city of Krakow in the province of Lesser Poland. The resort has the characteristic of a lowland spa as it lies in the valley of the River Wilga with a moderately stimulating climate and a microclimatic zone. The basic elements of the spa in Swoszowice are the natural mineral spring waters that are rich in sulphates, bicarbonates, calcium and magnesium sulphide and the specific climate. Swoszowice is one of the oldest spas in Poland and its name is derived from the name knight, named de Swoszow that founded the original village of Swosz on this site.
The first mention of Swoszowice appears in the Tyniec Codex from March 1362 which gives the first owner as Wojciech de Swoszow. Large deposits of sulphur were discovered in 1422 and the first mines established which still extract sulphur to this day, but only for medicinal purposes. There are numerous reminders of the presence of these mines here such as the slag heaps and street names which remain to this day.
The golden years for Swoszowice occurred between 1800 and 1831 when Professor Feliks Radwanski built a bathing facility on purchased land which is still operating to this day. The spa resort was opened officially in 1811 and, in the beginning, quickly became very fashionable. There was a dip in its popularity at the time of the November Uprising but thanks to Dr Jozef Dietl, the founder of a Balneological treatment system, it began to regain its former glory. Work began on reactivating the resort by rebuilding the spa facilities and enlarging the, originally landscaped Spa Park, by enriching it with new plant life and paved walking paths. The owners overcame their concerns about getting patients to the resort by first using horse-drawn omnibuses and then trams but this was superseded with the opening of a railway line in 1875. In the 19th century Swoszowice was largely inhabited by the Jewish community so there were numerous synagogues here also. At the end of the 19th century Fort Swoszowice was built which today houses a training centre. Swoszowice soon became well known for its festivals and balls and visitors listened to music played by the Spa Orchestra. World War II interrupted the typical activities of the spa resort however the German authorities used the facilities already in place and expanded them to perform rehabilitation functions. The spa was re-launched in 1956.
Today the Swoszowice resort is a typical urban spa in Poland. Even though it is removed from the urbanisations in this region, it offers its recreational and therapeutic facilities to the Krakow agglomeration while the city of Krakow and other surrounding urban centres offer to the resort guests numerous cultural and tourist attractions. There are two sources of therapeutic mineral springs, named Glowny and Napoleon, which provide the unique water that is rich in sulphates, hydrogen, carbon, calcium and magnesium. The sulphur content in the water classifies Swoszowice as fifth in the world and fourth in Europe. Swoszowice specialises in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, musculoskeletal and some neurological disorders.
Modern treatment and accommodation facilities, experienced staff and closeness to natural landscapes and terrain suitable for active tourism are only some of the attractive features of the resort in Swoszowice. Further development is planned for the spa resort which lies on 400 hectares of land that already boasts a horse riding stable, a cycling and tennis club as well as a football club, Krakus Swoszowice.
