Banja Koviljača

Banja Koviljača developed around sulphur and iron springs and became fashionable in the early twentieth century when the Karađorđević family took the waters here, which is why the park holds buildings of some ambition: the Kur-Salon of 1932, a spa hall in the manner of central European resorts, bath pavilions, and a large landscaped park of some forty hectares planted with mature trees. The sulphur smell around the springs is unmissable. Treatment for rheumatic and skin conditions remains the working business, and the sanatorium operates year round. The town sits close to the Drina with the Bosnian bank opposite, and the Tršić ethno-village and Tronoša monastery lie a short drive inland.

History

The spa is first mentioned in a document of 1533, Vuk Karadžić described its sulphur pool and cold springs in 1827, the chemist Pavle Ilić analysed the water in 1855, and the first guest house opened in 1858. Prince Mihajlo Obrenović placed the spa under state protection in 1867, and the Kur-salon was built in 1932 on the order of King Aleksandar (Wikipedia, Banja Koviljača).

Highlights

• The Kur-Salon - the 1932 spa hall at the centre of the park.
• The spa park - forty hectares of mature planting and paths.
• Sulphur springs - the sources and their unmistakable smell.
• The Drina frontage - the river a short walk from the park.

When to go

April to October for the park at its best; treatment facilities run year round. Summer is busiest. Autumn colour in the park is good and the crowds are thinner.

Before you go

Several of the historic buildings are in poor repair and not all are open. The spa is oriented to medical courses rather than leisure visitors. The sulphur smell is strong near the springs. The town outside the park is ordinary.

Nearby

Tršić lies southeast; Loznica is north-east.

Key facts