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Piešťany | |
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Town | |
 Sights of Piešťany. Top left: Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Kaplnka Božského Srdca Ježišovho). Top right: Thermia Palace. Bottom left: MonumentThanks to the Liberators (Vďaka osloboditeľom). Bottom upper right: Colonnade Bridge. Bottom lower right: Napoleon's Spa Resort. | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Piešťany Piešťany (Slovakia) Show map of Slovakia | |
| Coordinates:48°35′03″N17°50′01″E / 48.58417°N 17.83361°E /48.58417; 17.83361 | |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Region | Trnava |
| District | Piešťany |
| First mentioned | 1113 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Peter Jančovič |
| Area | |
• Total | 44.20 km2 (17.07 sq mi) |
| (2022) | |
| Elevation | 160[2] m (520[2] ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 27,057 |
| • Density | 610/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 921 01[2] |
| Area code | +421 33[2] |
| Car plate | PN |
| Website | www.piestany.sk |
Piešťany (Slovak pronunciation:[ˈpɪeʂcani]ⓘ;German:Pistyan,Hungarian:Pöstyén,Polish:Pieszczany[pjɛˈʂtʂanɨ],Czech:Píšťany[ˈpiːʃcanɪ]) is a town inSlovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within theTrnava Region and is the seat of itsown district. It is the biggest and best knownspa town in Slovakia and has around 28,000 inhabitants.
The name Piešťany comes fromSlovakPiesok (sand), referring to local sandbanks. The etymology is straightforward –Piešťanci – people who live on the sandy site andPiešťany – their settlement.[4]
The first human settlement in the area is dated to theprehistoric times, about 80,000 years ago. People were attracted to the site by abundance of game in the vicinity of the thermal springs that did not freeze in winter.
A small female statue representing female fertility calledVenus of Moravany was found in the nearby villageMoravany nad Váhom. It is made ofmammoth ivory and is dated to 22,800 BC. It currently resides in theBratislava Castle museum. In another nearby village,Krakovany-Stráže, a treasure consisting of luxury items made of glass, bronze, silver, and gold was discovered in three graves from 200 to 300 AD. The surroundings of Piešťany also include theGreat Moravian castle ofDucové.
Piešťany was first mentioned in written records in 1113 (under the name Pescan). At that time it consisted of several smaller settlements. The medicinal springs were already popular in theMiddle Ages. They were visited by theHungarian kingMatthias Corvinus. The first book mentioning the Piešťany springs wasDe admirandis Hungariae aquis hypomnemation (About the Miraculous Waters of the Hungarian Monarchy) by Georgius Wernher, published in 1549 inBasel. In the 16th century, the Piešťany spa was also mentioned by two prominent physicians,Johann Crato de Crafheim (who served to several Holy Roman Emperors) andAndrea Baccius Elpidianus (a personal surgeon of the Pope). The first monography (Schediasma de Thermis Postheinsibus byJán Justus Torkoš [sk] was published in 1745. But in the 16th and 17th centuries, Piešťany also suffered fromTurkish raids and anti-Habsburg uprisings.
Throughout the centuries Piešťany was owned by several noble families; the last of them, the Erdődys, owned the area from 1720 to 1848, and the spa until 1940. TheErdődy family built the first spa buildings in 1778. They were damaged by a destructive flood in 1813. In 1820 the spa buildings were expanded and remodeled inneo-classical style and named Napoleon spa. The Erdődy family also established the Spa park in this period. In the years 1889 to 1940 the Winter family rented the spa from the Erdődys and brought it to international fame.Ľudovít Winter [de] improved spa treatment as well as accommodation and entertainment for visitors. They built several spa buildings and hotels.[5]
The spa attracted many aristocratic visitors, includingLudwig van Beethoven.[5] In 1917, three monarchs (Wilhelm II ofGermany,Karl I ofAustria-Hungary, andFerdinand I of Bulgaria) orchestrated their war strategy during the negotiations in theThermia Palace hotel.
In 1945 Piešťany received the official status of a town. In 1959, Sĺňava water reservoir was built south of the town. In the late 1960s and 1970s more spa buildings were built. In 1973 the village ofBanka, located on the left bank of theVáh river, was amalgamated with Piešťany, but it regained independence after a referendum in 1995. In 1996 the town became the seat of adistrict.
The1938 World Fencing Championships were held in Piešťany.
On January 4, 1987, at the final match in theWorld Junior Championships ofice hockey between Canada and the Soviet Union there was abench-clearing brawl, now famously known as thePunch-up in Piešťany. Both teams were disqualified from competition as a result.
On July 5, 2001, three members of theReal Irish Republican Army were arrested in Piešťany. They were lured into a trap by agents of the British Security ServiceMI5 who were posing as arms dealers from Iraq.[6]
Piešťany is situated in the western part of Slovakia, in the valley of theVáh river, at an elevation of 162 metres (531.50feet). ThePovažský Inovec mountains form the eastern boundary of this part of the Váh valley. The highest hill of these mountains, Inovec 1,042 m (3,418.64 ft), is about 25 km (16 mi) north of the town. The hills immediately east of the town (10 km (6 mi) away) reach a height of about 700 m (2,296.59 ft). On the western side, the valley boundary is formed by theLittle Carpathians, which are somewhat lower and further away from the town. The valley is open to the south, and thus has a warm and sunny temperate climate.
Most of the town is located on the right bank of the river. South of the town is theSĺňava water reservoir created by a dam on the Váh river. The artificial canalBiskupický kanál and the main river branch join in the town. Another short branch of the river (Obtokové rameno) creates the Spa Island.
The hills of Považský Inovec are mostly covered withdeciduous forests. These consist ofoak andhornbeam in the lower elevations, andbeech in the higher elevations. The Váh valley is used for agriculture. The main products are cereals, sugar beet, animal feed, and pork.
Piešťany is located 75 kilometres (47 miles) north-east ofBratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and 30 km (19 mi) north-east of the local regional seatTrnava. Upstream from Piešťany on the Váh river are the townsNové Mesto nad Váhom (19 km (12 mi) north of Piešťany) andTrenčín (40 km (25 mi) north-east); 17 km (11 mi) downstream isHlohovec.
Piešťany is located on the route of theD1 motorway fromBratislava toŽilina with connections toVienna andBrno. The main railway route from Bratislava to Žilina andKošice also goes through the town. The town has anairport, mostly used for internationalcharter flights for spa clients (10,000 passengers in 2007). The municipality operates a local public transport system with 11 bus routes (as of 2008[update]).
| Climate data for Piešťany (1991−2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.4 (61.5) | 18.9 (66.0) | 21.1 (70.0) | 30.2 (86.4) | 32.4 (90.3) | 36.0 (96.8) | 38.2 (100.8) | 38.4 (101.1) | 33.8 (92.8) | 28.0 (82.4) | 21.4 (70.5) | 15.4 (59.7) | 38.4 (101.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) | 5.3 (41.5) | 10.6 (51.1) | 17.1 (62.8) | 21.5 (70.7) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 21.3 (70.3) | 15.4 (59.7) | 9.0 (48.2) | 3.3 (37.9) | 15.5 (59.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.8 (30.6) | 1.0 (33.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | 10.8 (51.4) | 15.4 (59.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 20.8 (69.4) | 20.4 (68.7) | 15.3 (59.5) | 10.2 (50.4) | 5.5 (41.9) | 0.5 (32.9) | 10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.1 (24.6) | −3.2 (26.2) | 0.2 (32.4) | 4.4 (39.9) | 9.1 (48.4) | 12.7 (54.9) | 13.9 (57.0) | 14.4 (57.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 5.7 (42.3) | 2.1 (35.8) | −2.5 (27.5) | 5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −20.7 (−5.3) | −18.5 (−1.3) | −16.2 (2.8) | −8.3 (17.1) | −2.2 (28.0) | 2.3 (36.1) | 4.8 (40.6) | 4.4 (39.9) | 0.3 (32.5) | −7.6 (18.3) | −13.3 (8.1) | −22.7 (−8.9) | −22.7 (−8.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 31.6 (1.24) | 29.8 (1.17) | 32.6 (1.28) | 37.6 (1.48) | 58.4 (2.30) | 70.7 (2.78) | 70.2 (2.76) | 58.1 (2.29) | 59.6 (2.35) | 48.3 (1.90) | 41.0 (1.61) | 38.3 (1.51) | 576.1 (22.68) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 8.9 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 86.9 |
| Average snowy days | 9.3 | 7.7 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 33.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 83.3 | 78.0 | 71.0 | 64.7 | 66.7 | 67.8 | 66.1 | 67.8 | 73.6 | 78.9 | 82.2 | 84.8 | 73.7 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 60.4 | 90.0 | 142.2 | 205.4 | 246.8 | 258.5 | 273.0 | 260.5 | 180.9 | 125.5 | 62.0 | 49.0 | 1,954.2 |
| Source:NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
Because of frequent floods in the past, most buildings are dated to the 19th and 20th century. The most notable exception are the ruins of a medieval monastery from the 13th century. The Napoleon Spa is a complex of Neoclassicist spa buildings built between 1822 and 1862. The town'sCatholic church dates from the same era. TheKolonádový most bridge, constructed byEmil Belluš in 1930–33, is a preeminentfunctionalist construction with many precious art objects.The localairport is home to theMilitary History Museum Piešťany.
The Piešťany spa has a capacity of two thousand beds (as of 2005[update]) and treats over forty thousand patients a year. More than 60% of the clients are foreigners (mostly from Germany, the Czech Republic, Israel, Austria and Arab Countries). The spa specializes in treatment of chronicrheumatic andarthritic diseases and post-accident lesions of joints and bones.[5]
The spa is located on the Spa Island between two branches of the Váh river, at the site of severalhot springs with temperatures of 67–69 °C (153–156 °F). The water originates in atectonic break at 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) depth. Thesulfate–carbonate water from the springs is used in pools and tubs. Sulfurous mud extracted from the bed of a side channel of the river is also used for treatment in the form of thermal mud pools with temperature 39 °C (102 °F) and for partial and full body packs. Spring water andmud therapy is complemented byelectrotherapy, exercise, massage, medication, and diet.
The spa is operated by the companySlovenské liečebné kúpele. The company was purchased in 2002 byDanubius Hotels Group. A small share is owned by the town. Danubius Hotels Group also owns hotels inHungary,Mariánské Lázně spa inCzech Republic andSovata spa inRomania.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 23,385 | — |
| 1980 | 28,511 | +21.9% |
| 1991 | 31,452 | +10.3% |
| 2001 | 30,606 | −2.7% |
| 2011 | 28,268 | −7.6% |
| 2021 | 27,681 | −2.1% |
| Source: Censuses[8][9] | ||
According to the 2001census, the town had 30,306 inhabitants. 96.30% of inhabitants wereSlovaks, 1.69%Czechs and 0.27%Hungarians.[10] The religious makeup was 72.65%Roman Catholics, 16.71% people with no religious affiliation and 5.96%Lutherans.[10]
One of important employers in the city during the communist era was the Czechoslovak electronics makerTesla Piešťany. It closed down in 1991 and in 1998 its factories were acquired byON Semiconductor, a former subsidiary ofMotorola, keeping a small customer support centre in the town. Delipro, s.r.o., manufacturer of quartz crystals founded in 1993, is another company building on the legacy of electronics manufacturing in the region.
Other important employers in the town include Slovak headquarters of financial services companyHome Credit Slovakia.Technický skúšobný ústav Piešťany [sk] is an independent certification, testing and inspection body for conformity assessment of machinery and construction products and consumer goods. Historically, Technický skúšobný ústav Piešťany is one of the oldest and the largest testing bodies in Slovak Republic within testing activity.
The town is known in Slovakia for its rich cultural programme throughout the year. In the summer tourist season, the town hosts several cultural events. Both opening (in June) and closing (in September) of the summer spa season is connected with big street festivals. An annual summerclassical music festival, Piešťany Music Festival, established in 1955, takes place in theHouse of Arts of Piešťany. This venue, with aseating capacity of 622, is currently the largest cinema hall in Slovakia and also offers other concerts and theatre shows. Country Lodenica is a festival offolk andcountry music established in 1999. It takes place south of the town, on the shores of Sĺňava water reservoir. Since 2000s, various festivals were held atPiešťany Airport, among others second largest music festival in Slovakia -GrapeFestival, rock-centeredTopfest, electronic music-focused BeeFree or Hodokvas. Furthermore, from 2006 to 2009 and since 2019 there have been air shows.[11][12] There were also regular car-, motorcycle- and truck-races.
Between 1967 and 1993 the city was the site of an annual sculpture exhibition in the Spa Park. This tradition was renewed in 2005 and 2008.
Piešťany also has several museums. TheBalneological Museum of Imrich Winter [sk], the only one of its type in the region, focuses on archeology, history and ethnography of the region, as well as the history of Slovakia's spas in general. It was established in 1933 by the Winter family. Another small museum belonging to Balneological Museum commemorates the life of the Slovak poetIvan Krasko, who lived in Piešťany from 1945 to 1958. Finally, a new museum at the airport (active since 2004) exhibits a collection related to the Slovak military history from 1945 to 1992.
TheHouse of Arts is the first postwar Slovak theatre building outsideBratislava, being project of architectFerdinand Milučký [it]. In first half of September, the annualInternational Film Festival Cinematik is held in various areas of Piešťany. It is currently the second largest film festival in Slovakia.[13]
Újbuda (Budapest), Hungary
Eilat, IsraelHajdúnánás, Hungary
Heinola, Finland
Luhačovice, Czech RepublicPoděbrady, Czech Republic
Ustroń, Poland
Varaždinske Toplice, Croatia
Municipalities ofPiešťany District | ||
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