Brestovacka SPA - The miraculus healing waters

Brestovacka SPA - The miraculus healing waters

Things to do - general

Brestovacka Spa is located in a very lively area of Timocka Krajina’s mountains, in the midst of the volcanic district of the Crni Timok River and near the Bor mine.

Brestovacka Spa is positioned in the southeastern foot of the Crni Vrh Mountain (1027 m), 8 km close to Bor and in 385 m above the sea level.

Apparently, Brestovacka Spa was prominent even in the Roman times. Romans, famous for their love for spas, had built their settlements in that area and exploited this Spa both for its healing and its pleasure-giving properties. There is reliable historical evidence that the Spa was also used and visited by Turks.

Being frequently visited by the members of both Serbian Royal family members, Brestovacka Spa is included in the three “Serbia Court Spas”. Recently after the liberation from the Turks, Princess Ljubica, the wife of Prince Miloš, arrives to the Spa.

After her arrival, her husband started visiting the spa more frequently, which initiated the building of the “Prince Miloš mansion”.  Just opposite of this building, one can find the Prince’s Castle which was shortly after built by Prince Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic.

In the latter years, many doctors have recorded in their manuscripts that they witnessed the healing properties of the spa’s waters. With its favorable climate, rich forests and thermo mineral springs, the Brestovacka Spa represents a true oasis of peace, wellness and health.

 

Others on Brestovacka Spa

 

Anonymous author (first half of the 19th century)

“I have noticed, after bathing several times in these warm and scented waters, the listless walk, the blind see, the ones with scabies loose the itch and the foul smell and the unsightliness of their illness.”

Vladimir Karic: Serbia – Report on the people and the country, Belgrade, 1887.

“… not only does it have an especially therapeutic capacity,  but it is also to be found in a stunning, forest-covered area. Behind the garland of the small hills situated in the vicinity of this spa, the gaze lingers on the images of this extraordinarily colorful beauty: on the hill of Rtanj in the south, on the mountains of Golubinje in the west, and on the hill of Stol in the north. Despite the lack of human touch,  of interest for the surroundings of the spa to be straightened up and more available, or the lack of buildings which would make it more acceptable to live in, people from all over Serbia loom towards to try to find the cure for their illnesses.”

This is the way dr Stevan Macaj in 1888 described his troubles with some of his patients in the spa. Today this may sound amusing, nut it demonstrates that some of the old habits among the people indeed die hard:

“No doubt that correct a diet is one of the most important tasks of a spa’s medicine. Unfortunately, the main doctor in Brestovacka Spa was deprived of this greatly important task, since only 2-3% of all the spa’s visitors receive their nourishment in the inn, where, according to the circumstances, it is seen that they receive the amount and quality of the food they need for the profit of their health. In Brestovacka Spa, eating in the restaurant is not obligatory. Thus the supervision of patients becomes extremely illusory and they end up eating fat, hot or cold, roast meat, whether it was mutton, pork, steamed or baked, greasy crusty pie, greasy crusty meat pie, unripe fruit, especially fresh plums, apples,  even the cucumber salad with tarator sauce every now and then sneaks its way to the menu…”

 

Author: Milan Stojkovic
Sources: Pajic T., Nicic D. (1981): “Brestovacka Banja during the times of Prince Miloš”, Museum of Mining and Metalurgy , Bor

Nature

Terrain

 

Brestovacka Spa is surrounded by paleovolcanic forms of terrain, which is considered as rarity. The most representative form of paleovolcanic terrain is a paleovolcanic cone Tilva Nyagra (770 m) with symmetrical slopes and its parasite-cone Tilva Mika (625 m). These cone-shaped elevations with their many rare and fascinating attributes are very suitable for climbing.

Not far from the Spa, on the way to Zlot, there is a remarkable area with karst topography.  Here, in a very small area, there is a variety of uncommon and exquisite pearls of nature.  Near the Spa there is a group of Caves of Zlot, with the length of tunnels  exceeding 1000 m. Unfortunately, only one of those tunnels is open for visitors, Lazar’s Cave, and it’s open in the period from April 15th to November 15th.  In this cave there are 4 canyon valleys, along with Lazar’s River canyon, accompanied by abysses, springs and caves…

Some of the sites near Brestovacka Spa worth visiting are mountains of Crni Vrh and Dubasnica, and Borsko Lake.

 

Climate

 

Brestovacka Spa is in the mild continental climate area. Average annual air temperature is 9.7 ºC.

The lowest temperatures are during December, January and February, and highest during the summer months. Average number of days with positive temperature is over 300 per year, the number of days with average temperature above 10 ºC is above 200 and above 25 º C – 80 days.

Average annual amount of precipitation is 709mm. Sumer showers are usually short and sudden and the weather stabilizes shortly after they stop.  These showers are essential, because they bring refreshment and improve the air quality.

Snow is typical for the winter months. The snow cover thicker than 30 cm stays only up to 10 days, and the one 10 cm high stays as long as 40 days. The snow gives the spa an unusual appearance and makes space for some recreational activities.

Brestovacka Spa is sheltered from strong winds, but its rich forests make it less sunlit than it should be.

Taking into consideration all the elements and features one reaches the conclusion that the Spa has a pleasant microclimate, particularly for the valorization of its role as a medicinal, therapeutic and wellness center.

 

Thermal mineral waters

 

Instructed by Prince Miloš, the famous baron Herder, while studying the characteristics of these springs, wrote: ‘… very therapeutic, and beneficial against many illnesses, both for its high temperature and the number of the mineral salts in it.’

brestovacka-banja-voda-za-oci

Dr Mihajlo Kostic wrote that these waters are clear and pure, and always renewing, even during the times of bathing, which keeps the temperature unchanging during the treatment, and makes the cleaning and refilling of the pools undemanding.

The water in Brestovacka Spa is found to originate in the depths of the volcanic rocks. The springs are not too generous, the flow goes from 6 to 301 l/min. They are sulfuric and belong to the groups of homeothermic (34-38 ºC) and hyperthermic waters (above 38 ºC).

Salubrity  of these waters is effected by the contents and interconnectedness of various elements and microelements - potassium, calcium, fluoride, sodium, silicon, chlorine, iodine, bromine, magnesium, iron oxides, aluminum, lithium, manganese, zinc, rubidium, cobalt, copper and phosphate, and slightly radioactive elements uranium, radium and radon.

They are used for treatment of the spine injuries and disorders, muscles, bones, skin, and joints. They also help healing general exhaustion, injuries, rheumatism, nervous system illnesses, female reproductive organs, and peripheral coronary system.

 

Flora

 

The vegetation of the Brestovacka Spa is rich and diverse and very important because it gives the landscape special color and also provides dwelling for a large number of game and wild birds.

In this region there are many relict, endemic and unique species of plants, which are extremely important for botanists. Many of the species are introduced into the literature of modern science by Josif Pancic.

The Spa forest is spread throughout an area of 90 ha. Hundred years old beech trees are among the oldest and largest beech forests in Serbia.

Unfortunately there are no accommodations at this location at the moment.

Unfortunately there are no tour offers at this location at the moment.

Maps