Pamper yourself with luxurious wellness treatments, bathe in medicinal waters, make a wish and throw a coin into Ivan’s spring, take a walk through the Roman Park forest and find out why the Roman emperors used this area as their oasis of peace and relaxation.
Numerous sources of healing thermal water, deposits of healing mineral mud, preserved historical buildings and beautiful historical landscape parks, natural beauty, countless sports and recreation, wellness-spa and medical facilities make Daruvar Spa a perfect place for rest, rehabilitation and getting back in good shape.
Since Roman times, more precisely since the 2nd century, on the site of today’s Daruvar Spa, there have been Aquae Balissae with hot, warm and cold baths, as well as separate rooms for massage and sauna.
Medicinal thermal water in the Daruvar area has always been used to improve the quality of life. It was first used by the Iasi, and later the Roman emperors (Commodus, Constantine the Great, Hadrian), Turkish and Austro-Hungarian generals, aristocrats, citizens and peasants were treated there. In somewhat more recent history, Empress Maria Theresa handed over the Daruvar Spa area to Count Antun Janković in 1756, and he then built new pools and buildings.
In addition to the use of medicinal thermal water and mineral mud of the Daruvar Spa, the special hospital for medical rehabilitation specializes in rehabilitation programs for the treatment of the locomotor system, rehabilitation after sports injuries, as well as a health program of natural help in the treatment of infertility, plus wellness-spa and sports and recreation programs.
Today, Daruvar Spa is a modern center for health care, with a focus on constant investment in medical equipment, professional staff and accommodation facilities. In addition, the Spa actively participates in the promotion of health tourism in Croatia, through membership in various associations and clusters. They are particularly proud of their membership in the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), alongside well-known destinations such as Vichy and Karlovy Vary.
Within the Daruvar Spa there are indoor and outdoor pools with thermal water, Termal – the first spa hotel in Croatia, the Arcadia annex and many different sports and recreation grounds, such as an indoor sports hall, a modern fitness center, a tennis court and a football field.
It is important to note that the historical building Villa Arcadia is today an annex*** with 12 exclusively furnished accommodation units, connected to the baroque restaurant Terasa, which has been listed among the 100 best restaurants in Croatia for several years in a row.
The accommodation facilities of the Daruvar Spa, the Termal Spa hotel*** and the Arcadia annex*** are located in the most beautiful part of the historical landscape park, just a few minutes’ walk from the very center of Daruvar. They are surrounded by Julijev Park, one of the oldest protected parks in Croatia, beautiful historical buildings, captured sources of healing thermal water, a children’s playground, a forest park and numerous landscaped walkways.
You will also get to see Antun’s Bath from 1772, the Central Mud Bath from 1909, and the luxurious series of historical sights continues with Villa Arcadia built in 1870, the Swiss Villa from 1860 and the castle of Count Janković from 1777. History has written some of the most beautiful architectural stories of continental Croatia in this place!
Ginkgo tree, attractive sculptures, the Roman Forest Park, a lucky coin and a source of love – find your own oasis
The beautiful Julijev Park surrounds the facilities of the Daruvar Spa, with sculptures of the Crane (symbol of Daruvar) and the Woman Bather or the Naked Maja. If you take a walk to the Janković Castle, you will come across an old protected ginkgo tree, which is the only protected natural asset in Bjelovar-Bilogora County.
What not to miss when you are in Daruvar Spa?
The Woman Bather sculpture, one of the earliest works of sculptor Antun Augustinčić, made in 1927 in bronze. The Woman Bather was placed in the Daruvar Spa back in 1956, and was installed as a symbol of female fertility.
You can make a wish and throw a lucky coin into Ivan’s spring – the largest captured source of healing thermal water in this area. After that, walk along the Educational Path of the Roman Park Forest to the fountain of love Julis Brum and the Jewish Cemetery – a cultural monument dating back to early 19th century. Not far from the spa, in the park of the Janković Castle, there are two specimens of the deciduous gingko biloba tree, a female and a male specimen, originally from western China. They are located in the castle garden, which was created in parallel with the construction of the castle, and was completed in 1780.