Lumshory

At Lumshory, sulphurous mineral water is run into large cast-iron cauldrons set over wood fires, heated to bathing temperature and sat in, usually followed by a plunge into the cold stream beside them. The cauldrons were originally used for boiling iron ore in the eighteenth-century works here, and the bathing grew up around the springs afterwards. It is a local ritual rather than a spa, done in the open air in a forested valley.

What to look for

• The cauldron baths - cast-iron vats of mineral water heated over open fires.
• The cold plunge - the mountain stream beside the cauldrons.
• The sulphur springs - the water source the whole practice depends on.
• The forested valley - beech woods closing round the site.

When to go

May to October is the comfortable season, though the cauldrons work in cold weather and are arguably better then. Weekends are busy and sessions should be booked. Heating a cauldron takes time, so arriving unannounced means waiting.

Before you go

Sessions must usually be booked ahead and heating takes an hour or more. Facilities are rudimentary with basic changing arrangements. The sulphur smell is strong and stays on skin and clothes.

Nearby

Uzhhorod is southwest, and the Uzh valley runs north.

Key facts