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World video travel guide
Rimske Terme Resort Spa reopens its doors
Тhe renovation of this once very popular pearl of Slovenian tourism, even visited by English royalty and numerous local and foreign tourists, began a few years ago. The completely renovated Rimske terme spa is reopening its doors officially at the end of this May. It has been turned into a modern resort & spa, yet it still respects its rich tradition.
After being closed for twenty years and operating before that for over four decades as a centre for medical rehabilitation run by the Army, the Rimske terme thermal spa is regaining its former reputation as a cosmopolitan resort. Located in a natural setting, away from the bustle – Rimske Toplice was widely popular in the 19th century for its beautiful surroundings and as the most beautiful park in Slovenia. In the historical park close to the spa, almost entirely preserved, the rich and the prominent used to plant exotic trees to express their gratitude for regaining health, while the benches and viewpoints in the park are named after famous people who visited the spa.
However, the history of this thermal resort, located on the bank of the Savinja River between Laško and Zidani Most in the north-eastern part of Slovenia, goes back much farther into the past. It is not known exactly when the thermal spa was first opened in Rimske Toplice, yet many different excavated objects such as vow memorials devoted to nymphs, mosaics and Roman coins bear witness to its history. A document from the year 1328, with which the prior of the nearby Jurklošter monastery allowed its sale, shows that the spa existed in the Middle Ages. A drawing of the spa dating back to 1747 shows that the spa had several small interconnected buildings and St. Anton’s church with its spire.
The spa was purchased in 1840 by G. H. Uhlich, a wholesaler of German descent from Trieste, who paid 20,000 forints for it and worked on turning it into a resort. He built Zofijin dvorec (Sophia Mansion) and increased the number of guestrooms first to one hundred and later to two hundred. The Vienna-Trieste railway line went through Rimske Toplice in 1848 and the railway station called Römerbad was located right under the spa. The documents and records preserved show that only very wealthy guests visited the spa.
In May 2011, two newly renovated hotels, Zdraviliški dvor*** and Rimski dvor****, will be opened, in addition to the already renovated Sofijin Dvor****. Rimske terme now has 162 single- and double rooms, 10 apartments and 10 suites (357 beds in total). The focus during the renovation was not only on the environment and the natural setting in which the Rimske terme spa is located, but also on sustainable construction and landscaping. In addition to modern furnished hotel rooms, the guests can enjoy an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, a congress centre with all modern amenities in a number of halls, a wellness and rehabilitation centre – to revive the uniqueness of this once very cosmopolitan health resort based on its rich tradition of health and well-being.
More information available at home page of Rimske Terme and Evelin Kranjc (head of marketing).
www.slovenia.info
