About Šmarješke Toplice

Formerly known as Lake Baths

Settled as early as prehistoric times, the area of Šmarješke Toplice was relatively unknown to the outside world up until the end of the 18th century. The marshy areas, with a small lake that was formed by water emerging from thermal springs, were mostly visited by the locals, townspeople from Novo Mesto and inhabitants of the nearby castles. The area around the lake was long known as Lake Baths. This was also the name quoted by Franc Anton BrekerFeld, the owner of the Old Castle and a historian, in his book A Report on Baths or Lake Baths in Lower Carniola. In the book, he highlighted the beneficial effects of the baths, among others: "The spring water has a healing power: it revitalises and increases circulation, strengthens the nerves and relieves nervous disorders, helps with paralysis, swelling, pain in joints, scurvy. With these disorders, it is not uncommon for the water to work wonders." Since 1791, every guest that experienced favourable effects of the baths signed the guest book.

From cabins to bathhouses

The Counts of Margheri-Commandona, owners of the Old Castle and the baths, had a wooden cabin built next to the baths in the 19th century. The next owners had the bottom of the baths planked. The baths were bought by Alojzij Zajec from Bela Cerkev in 1913, who later had two bathing areas built there. A bathhouse was erected on top of a thermal spring in 1922, and an open-air wooden pool measuring 9 metres by 9 metres was built at the farther end of the valley. When the baths were bought in 1926 by the family of Dr. Gregorčič from Novo Mesto, tremendous progress ensued: plumbing and electricity were installed, the inn and the water mill were restored. The baths were given names: Mary's Bath (today's wooden pool), Alexander's Bath (the large indoor bath) and Peter's Bath (the small indoor bath). There were booths for guests at the poolside. In 1938 the baths were bought by Dr. Šarič, owner of the Radenci Health Resort. He consolidated the area with healing properties by purchasing individual plots of land from their respective owners and converted the existing house into a large guesthouse, at the site where a hotel stands still today.

Development of health resort and hotels

After World War II, the buildings underwent gradual renovation, the health resort was continually upgraded to meet modern tourist demands, and large thermal pools were eventually built. In 1956 the baths were declared a formal medical institution in the form of a health resort. The hotel was renovated, the pools, the park and the area along the stream were redeveloped. Together with another spa, Terme Dolenjske Toplice, the health resort was transferred to the management of Krka Pharmaceuticals in 1973. This marks the beginning of the resort's development of healthcare activities with a narrower focus on individual indication areas.