Roman Spa Business Wellness Spa Resort

History

Healing power of natural sources was already appreciated by Romans, who first invented pools with warm, hot and cold water in 39 years BC. Archeological finds discovered over 180 years ago in the area of Rimske Toplice talk about Romans from Province who respected its advices and used wells in Rimske Toplice.

Roman wells spring from cracks in triad dolomite rocks. They took only two of the most powerful ones for the needs of the healing center, first one with the temperature of 38.4°C, called Spring of Amalija, and the other one with lower temperature of 36.3°C, named Roman Spring.

When building the thermal swimming pool in 1769-1845 they discovered many marble alters, 11 vow monuments, four of them are dedicated to nymphs and to goddess of health, Valetuda.

In 1460 Friderik Zwern rented the spa and developed it into a resort that was robbed and burned by Turks in 1529. Until 1810 Spa changed its owners, but they were not especially successful. In 1810 postman from Celje, Anton Gurnik, bought the spa and they came from feudal into bourgeois hands.

Milestone in the development of the Spa was without a doubt the purchase and arrival of the new owners from Trieste – family Uhlich. The property came into the hands of this family from Trieste after the year 1840, and they owned it until the end of the Second World War. Right after their arrival they finally named the spa Rimske Toplice for advertisement purposes. Gustav and Amalija Uhlich were the beginners in asserting what it was later worldly known Spa center Rimske Toplice. Here gathered aristocracy and bourgeoisie. There were a lot of German guests as well as guests from Trieste, Hungary, Zagreb and even America.

In 1873-1874 they begin with renovations of spa buildings, where they left only the big pool, but instead of three little pools they build 12 big and four small cabins that were arranged around the area with cupola. The owners also organized the surroundings of the spa. They fixed the plantations of exotic trees in the park. The feature of this spa park, which measures 30 hectares, is a valley south of the Hall Sofijin dvor, where grow beautiful sequoias.

Once there was a pasture, but they rearranged it into bowl-shaped grass plain. It was surrounded by the Promenade of Viktorija that was later renamed into Russian path. They started to build the Russian path in 1917. It got its name after Russian prisoners, which were mostly its builders. In October 1918, 1224m long walking path – route was built, and it preserved in this form until today. In 1836 they build the hall Sofijin dvor in the middle of the park, which was given the shape of German castle buildings and contained more than 50 rooms. Spa’s doctor, dr Hermann Mayerhofer, bought the land in 1884 and build even bigger villa that was called Villa Mayerhofer. Villa and park are still named after him. There is a path trough the Park of Vladimir, across an interesting bridge with two lions with shield and sward that leads to the villa. Villa was later owned by Uhlich`s sister.

Last private owner of the spa was dr Gustav Uhlich that got the land from his parents in 1934. During the War the spa was in the hands of German army that changed the spa into a hospital for their solders. After the end of the War young Dr. Gustav Uhlich also left the spa.

In the period from the end of World War II and until 1991 the resort was managed by Yugoslav People's Army. The military devoted the role of spa for recovery of officers and the spa was rarely available to other visitors.

After 15th October 1991 the doors of the spa closed. Once military healing center was then inherited by Ministry of Defense that decided that Roman Spa will not be included among facilities, which will be preserved by the country for defense of security needs.

Until the year 2008 the spa desolated. There were many bidders, a lot of talk about opening the spa, but it did not happen. In 2008 the spa finally came into the right hands and opened its door. After 16 years, more than five million investments into the Hall Sofijin dvor opened its gates on 24th of September 2008.