Today we have a SPA in every corner of Poland, renowned health resorts, great accommodation facilities, an extensive service sector ... and all this is just waiting for us and our money. It was not so beautiful in the interwar period. Polish resorts were just spreading their wings and slowly gaining popularity. And yet, from time to time going "to the waters" simply fell. Who is alive (and who could afford it!) Set out to conquer foreign spas.
One of the most popular destinations was Czechoslovakia with its pearls:Marienbad and Karlsbad. However, we will only take care of the first spa, which will be shown in " Marienbad Guide ”Developed eighty years ago by the Polish Club located in that town. Then let's go!
In 1931, it was best to start your journey in Warsaw, but you could also get to the spa from Poznań and Lviv without much difficulty. The train departed from Warsaw directly to Marienbad three times a week (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), and in the opposite direction, i.e. to Warsaw, the train from Marienbad arrived on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The journey took approximately twenty hours, according to the timetable in the guidebook. If someone wanted to cover the route a little faster, you could decide to travel by plane. Marienbad had its own airport ! Departing from Warsaw at 6 am (with a change in Prague), at noon the patient was already breathing the crystal clear air of the Czech resort.
Walking along the Marienbad's covered promenade, you could make new friends and present your beautiful toilets.
Welcome to Marienbad
Once we have reached our destination, it would be worth taking a look around. Around parks and gardens, and in the distance, the wind carries the scent of coniferous forests. All roads are beautifully kept and every building is well kept. Elegant and fashionably dressed representatives of various nations stroll along the promenades. They were attracted by the fame of the spa, and in the case of more than one bride or divorcee, the hope of hunting a rich husband …
As it is not appropriate to walk with luggage, straight from the airport or train station we go to our hotel, guesthouse or other accommodation, which we took care of before leaving. The authors of the guide advise you to book your accommodation in advance to avoid any surprises in the form of a lack of free rooms. In addition, before we settle down in the temporary locum, it is better to establish precise price details regarding service, time of stay, etc. (in the event of problems or attempted fraud, it is best to contact the local municipality or court). However, let's not be pessimistic and assume that everything is in the best order with the accommodation, so we can go to conquer the spa promenades .
Time to start the treatment
Shady alleys, fragrant coniferous forests and famous healing springs ... just get cured!
A very rich offer awaited the patients in Marienbad. The authors of our invaluable guide mention natural carbonic acid baths, ferruginous, mineral, mud baths, hydrotherapy, medical mechanical therapy, pinwood extract and finally a healthy mountain climate, dense forests with well-kept roads, beautiful and healthy apartments, hygienic facilities, and caring for dietary meals. The treatments also include steam baths, sudatoria, electric baths, water treatment, Bulling inhalerium, radium emanatorium, Zander plant, plant for physical methods, treatment, xntgenation … To try each of these methods at least once, you would have to spend at least a few weeks in Marienbad. And with such a long treatment, it may be possible to successfully cure one of the ailments.
The article is based on the "Guide to Marienbad", prepared by the Polish Club in Marienbad (1931) ...
People traveled to the north of Czechoslovakia to get rid of or at least alleviate the symptoms of many diseases. Among them, the most popular were:obesity (with particular emphasis on fatness of the heart), diabetes, gout, atherosclerosis, heart disease, hypertension, digestive ailments, flatulence, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, rheumatism, female diseases and ailments related to menopause, no neuroses of any kind. mentioning. In the treatment of all of the aforementioned ailments, it was recommended to drink the medicinal waters of Marienbad (which are said to be effective, but extremely foul-tasting). However, apart from being a health resort and at the same time something resembling a pre-war SPA, Marianske Lazne also played the role of a fashionable resort. And since patients do not like to be bored between treatments, Marienbad did not lack entertainment .
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Everybody dance now! So the orchestra is playing
Official dances are organized in the Kursaal. An orchestra plays there three times a day for the patients . In addition, there are also other cultural events, such as classical music concerts, performances of famous and popular people who have just come to the spa. For guests with less enthusiasm for dancing, there is a well-stocked library in the same building.
For years, Marienbad has hosted eminent personalities, including crowned heads. Has one of the city streets been festively decorated to welcome one of them?
Live music is heard not only in the elegant Kursaal. Each major restaurant tries to attract as many customers as possible. And what will attract patients eager for entertainment more effectively than dancing or an opportunity to listen to live music ? Thus, in the corners of the halls, string quartets, salon orchestras, gypsy bands and dance groups play to the cutlet. There is a lot to choose from. When you get bored of music, you can try other entertainment.
In July and August, the racing society organizes international rallies . You can also have fun with the airline, the shooting association, play football at the soccer stadium or exercise at the athletics stadium. Those who prefer quieter entertainment can arrange a game of golf, tennis or horseback riding. Those who are fed up with physical effort have city theater, cabarets and cinemas at their disposal . Poles who came here "to the waters" had their own institution providing them with entertainment during their stay in Marienbad.
... but the inspiration for its writing was the latest novel by Krystyna Kaplan entitled "It happened in Marienbad" (Literatura Fakt PWN 2012).
The Polish Club has its seat in the "Tepelski Dom" hotel. This society has a very well-stocked library and has the latest magazines. The club's reading room is available all day long, but to borrow a book or to join the readership, you need to set aside some time between 10 a.m. and noon. Then it's closed. In addition, the Polish Club, if there are people willing, organize trips, social meetings, joint games, etc.
Of course, all this had to be paid dearly. Marienbad was one of the most exclusive resorts in Europe . Before World War I, kings (for example, the famous bon vivant, British monarch Edward VII), aristocrats, and the tops of European society rested here. In Marienbad, diplomacy was practiced, conspiracies and alliances forged . Something of the charm of the old days still remains ... But, is it still a leisure for today? You would prefer to go to Marienbad to the Bulling Inhalation and on röntgenowanie or yet straight to the Egyptian beach?
Sources:
- Guide to Marienbad (Mariánské Lázně) with pictures, Polish Club (Marianske Lazne), Marienbad 1931.
We recommend:
- Krystyna Kaplan, It happened in Marienbad , Literatura Fakt PWN, 2012.