Croatian city presentation - Daruvar

[Sisak]

Daruvar, famous spa town with the tradition of health tourism for over two thousand years.
In ancient times, it was the capital of the Iassan Republic, during the Romans a widely-known patrician thermal health resort – Aquae Balissae which means „very hot springs“. In Turkish times it was an important strategic point, later a market town and in the time of the counts Jankovich, who are considered the founders of Daruvar as it is today, the town was transformed into a centre for crafts and trade.

Daruvar in Hungarian means Crane's town and was named after Antun Janković built a baroque castle and called it Daruvar, and since then the name Podborje disappeared.

Daruvar spa with its long tradition, rich tourist offer, the Daruvar wine road and recreational areas which are located within the newly opened Thermal water park "Aquae Balissae" make the town an interesting place to visit for many local and foreign visitors. Two large decorated parks and the Roman forest in the town center which discreetly blend with the town architecture make the town one of the greenest urban areas in Croatia.

Antun Jankovich, in 1945, bought the northern part of the estate Sirač that included Podborje. Queen Maria Theresa, on the 28th of February 1765, granted Count Jankovich the title "de Daruvar" because of the crane in his family's coat of arms.
Since then, the name Podborje started to vanish and it was totally lost when Antun Jankovich built the castle (1771-1777) and called it Daruvar (in Hungarian Daruvar means Crane's town or Crane's castle).The Crane's pose, turned to the right side with its leg raised, presents constant alert on the watch. Antun Jankovich was the founder of today's town and because of that, the symbol on the town's coat of arms is a crane.

Springs of thermal water
Among other things, in the Spa park there are two outfitted thermal water springs: Antun’s well and Ivan’s well, which is also called the Wishing well.
Daruvar is distinguishable by its warm water springs with healing properties, or, in other words, by its thermal wells, and by its deposits of mineral treasures such as peloid and “fango”. Thermo-mineral water was always used for healing and rehabilitation and also, because of its healing properties, for baths and drinking.
Thermal water is, according to its composition and balneological classification, acratothermal (indifferent water with mineralization under 1g/liter). Chemical analysis determined that calcium and magnesium prevail among the kations, and hidrocarbonates prevail among the anions.
As far as radioactivity goes, it is very low and decreases with a water source. The chemical composition of all of the water springs in town is almost identical, but the temperature varies from 39,2 to 47,5 degrees Celsius.
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[Manifest Destiny]

That looks beautiful.

[Sisak]

That looks beautiful.

Croatian cities in the pannonian part of the country look quite nice if you takes into account our dark wartime past.

[Sisak]

Spa park Julije's park

Julije's park is one of the oldest spa parks in continental Croatia!
The spa park grew parallel with the spa. The first trees were planted around Antun's Bath and some of them are still there in the park – e.g. the plane and paulownia tree. The spa guests used to meet and socialize in the park.

The park grew during the time of Antun's successors Izidor and Julije Janković and Sigmund Löwy. In addition, inside the park there is a fountain with a bronze sculpture called the Woman bather made by Antun Augustinčić in 1927.

The park belongs to the classical creation in horticultural art and research shows that it is the oldest spa park in Croatia.The park is enriched with buildings from the 18th and 19th century, various baths and villas which complement the beauty of the park.

Antun’s bath

Antun’s bath, which was raised by Antun Janković in 1762, was the first bathing facility in Julije’s park (the spa park). It was built by Macedonian masters knowledgeable in the processing of stone, on the foundations of the Roman thermal spa. It was redecorated several times (it was built on in 1860, and reshaped in 1896). The bath was used for bathing for the common people. A warm water source was outfitted in front of Antuns’ bath. The water has healing properties and is used for drinking (the temperature of the water is 43°C).

Ivan’s bath

In 1812, Izidor Janković raised the bathing facility named after his father, Ivan’s bath or Johannesbad. It was the most spacious bath and it contained one common room and two baths on each side. Rocks from nearby abbeys were used for construction. In front of Ivan’s bath, a round covered pool was made. This round pool was enclosed with a metal fence and is present in the park today. Visitors often throw coins in it followed by hidden wishes. In 1959 another building was built on and it was called Ivan’s house. The bath was destroyed in the Croatian War of Independence. All that is left of Ivan’s bats is Ivan’s well or the wishing well in which the temperature is also above 40°C.

The Swiss villa

In Julije’s park (the spa park) there is a romantic Swiss villa, which was raised in 1860 in the time of Julije Janković, as a summerhouse in Swiss style with a wooden porch, which makes this space interesting. The porch is overgrown with climbing plants tecoma and parthenocissus which give this building its recognizable image.


Marija’s bath

Marija’s bath or Siegenthal’s bath was built in 1862 and is located in front of the restaurant Terasa in the deep shade of trees. The well itself is covered with concrete, it has the shape of an ellipse and is protected with an iron fence.


Villa Arcadia

Villa Arcadia was built in 1870 and was raised by Julije Janković. Villa Arcadia was remodeled in 1903, and was restored in 1991. Today, Villa Arcadia has a total of 25 beds.

The Central mud bath

The Central mud bath was built in the place of the old, wooden Ana’s bath, in maurish style in 1909 based on the project of A.Carnelutti. The pool in the Central mud bath was paved with Faenza ceramics, and stone benches, which were used for sitting baths, were along the edge of the bath. In the centre of the pool there is an artificial boulder made from stone pieces with a gush of cold water for refreshment. It is a recognizable building that is also a symbol of the baths of the town of Daruvar.

http://www.visitdaruvar.hr/en/spa-park-julijes-park.aspx