The oldest healing springs in Poland – where water remembers the Middle Ages

Water has always been the foundation of life, but for centuries it has also played the role of a natural remedy. The tradition of using healing waters in Poland dates back to the Middle Ages – the first records of mineral healing springs can be found in chronicles from the 13th and 14th centuries. Despite the passage of time, many of these health resorts have not only survived but continue to actively expand their therapeutic offerings while remaining subjects of intense scientific research.

The oldest documented healing springs in Poland

The tradition of using healing waters on Polish lands reaches back to medieval times. It is from that period that the first documented mentions of their health benefits originate. These sources laid the foundation for the development of Polish health resorts, which to this day draw on natural mineral water resources. Here are the oldest among them:

Cieplice Zdrój (Lower Silesia)

Considered the oldest health resort in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe, Cieplice Zdrój is located in the lower part of the Jelenia Góra Valley. The first historical mention of the town is tied to the Piast duke Bernard of Lwówek, who in 1281 granted land to the Knights Hospitaller from Strzegom for building a monastery and hospital. Mentions of the healing, warm springs, however, appear even earlier – in documents dated 1175. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Cieplice gained a reputation as a renowned health resort throughout Europe. Springs with temperatures from 20 to 44°C were used especially in dermatological treatments.

Lądek-Zdrój (Lower Silesia)

Lądek-Zdrój has long contested Cieplice for the title of the oldest health resort. Fully documented information about the existence of healing springs dates to 1325. Records from the 15th century indicate that bathing facilities used for therapeutic purposes existed in the area before 1241. Though the site has experienced various historical turns, today, following revitalization and expansion, Lądek-Zdrój is considered one of the most beautiful resorts in Poland. Its main healing resource is radon-rich, sulphate-fluoride thermal waters with temperatures between 22 and 44°C.

Szczawno-Zdrój (Lower Silesia)

The first documented use of mineral springs in Szczawno-Zdrój comes from 1221. However, excavations carried out between 1907 and 1912 uncovered evidence of spring use dating as far back as the 1st–3rd centuries. Wooden well structures and water-drawing tools were found. Although the springs had been used for centuries, their chemical composition was first described in 1601 by Kasper Schwenckfeld. The modern health resort owes its development to Samuel August Zemplin, who, from 1815, oversaw the exploitation of the springs and the center’s therapeutic functions. Szczawno’s waters are radon-rich, bicarbonate-sodium-calcium-magnesium waters, used in the treatment of urinary, respiratory, and digestive ailments.

What do geological studies say?

The continuous use of thermal springs is confirmed not only by historical documents but also by scientific studies. Hydrogeological analyses conducted in Cieplice and Lądek-Zdrój reveal complex processes responsible for forming thermal waters. In Cieplice, the springs are fed by deep waters circulating in Carboniferous structures – rocks formed over 300 million years ago, as confirmed by isotope analyses of samples taken from the KT-1 borehole in Karpniki.

The stability of the waters’ chemical composition is directly linked to their long residence time in deep rock layers. Isotope analysis shows no tritium in water from borehole C-1, indicating it hasn’t come into contact with the atmosphere since before 1952 – the start of nuclear testing. This implies the waters have a long underground cycle and are isolated from modern precipitation. In Lądek-Zdrój, additional evidence of long-term use includes 15th-century wooden water pipes that contain identical sulfur deposits as those found in current spa installations.

Water that “remembers the Middle Ages” – not just a metaphor

Thermal waters circulate through deep layers of the Earth’s crust for hundreds, and in the case of the oldest resources, even thousands of years before they reach the surface. During this journey, they undergo mineralization, absorbing elements from surrounding rocks. Their chemical composition, remarkably stable over centuries, means they quite literally preserve a memory of past users. Today’s spas, despite modern infrastructure, still use the same sources as centuries ago. These waters are not only therapeutic resources but also a living heritage – both geological and cultural.

main photo: Jonny84/Wikipedia