B y the beginning of the 20 th cen- tury, Koviljača Spa had become a fashionable gathering place for all those who had some elevated sta- tus in the social and cultural life of Serbia. It was praticularly favoured by members of the Obrenović and Karađorđević dynasties, which is why it rightly bears the epithet as the royal spa. And it has retained that regal charm even today. As soon as you step into the spa’s park, you will momentarily feel as though you can hear the sounds of a Vien- nese waltz emanating from the surround- ing villas, while couples in lavish attire ar- rive for a ball. The spa’s famous park was designed in an English and French style, precisely as desired King Alexander I Obrenović. He is largely responsible for Banja Koviljača becoming known as one of the most beautiful spas in Europe; as a perfect place to recover from illness, but also for relax- ation and a proper royal holiday. Koviljača was a health resort as far back as the Illyrian era, while the rst written records, from 1533, indicate that people came en masse to experience its healing springs. The rst guest house, with 10 rooms, was built in 1858. The people used to refer to it as‘Smrdan banja’, the Stinky Spa, after the smelly ponds of sulphuric water that bubbled up to the surface for centu- ries. Naturally black sulphuric mud was created in that swamp, emitting a stench akin to that of burnt gunpowder or rotten eggs. A caravan route ran through the areas of these springs, leading to the emergence of a legend that the healing properties of the stink- ing pools were discovered by the escorts of a caravan who had to leave their exhausted and wounded horse there. The horse wallowed in the black mud and bathed in the warm sulphu- ric water. When the travellers returned along the same route, they found that their horse was now healthy and grazing on the grass. This is how legend has it that the healing properties
lečio, banju je ukazom iz 1898. pre- dao „narodu okruga podrinjskog na upravljanje i korišćenje“. A onda je kralj Petar Prvi Kara- đorđević 1904. odlučio da se tu po- digne moderna evropska banja. Te- melji parnog kupatila, centralnog mesta u Banji, postavljeni su u ma- ju iste godine, a porcelanske kade i blatne kupke bile su na raspolo- ganju gostima tri godine kasnije. Blagotvornim tretmanima prepu- stio se i sam kralj Petar, već 1908. godine, i od tada je redovno pose- ćivao banju i u njoj boravio pone- kad i više od mesec dana godišnje. Pričalo se tada da su čak i neki dr- žavnički poslovi morali da sače- kaju da se kralj vrati iz Koviljače. Kupatilo danas nosi ime kralja Pe- tra, a u njemu se nalazi i kraljeva kada, koju po želji mogu koristi- ti banjski gosti. Tada su, jedno za drugim, izgrađeni luksuzni hote- li i vile i uređen je park koji pove- zuje sve banjske objekte. Mnogi se slažu da je najlep- ši objekat u banji dvorana Kur-sa- lon, koja je renovirana i sada opet blista u punom sjaju. Ovo prelepo zdanje, simbol Banje, otvoreno je 1932. pod pokroviteljstvom kralja Aleksandra Karađorđevića. Koli- ko je Kur-salon nekada bio zna- čajan govore i podaci da je u nje- mu otvorena prva kockarnica na Balkanu, održan prvi izbor za mis Jugoslavije, kao i da je Emir Ku- sturica tu snimao deo filma Otac na službenom putu , za koji je do- bio Zlatnu palmu u Kanu. Srećnici koji su probali neke od njenih bla- godeti kažu da su iz Banje odlazili bukvalno preporođeni.
of Koviljača spa were discovered.
Written accounts also show that the beau- ties of this spa were enjoyed by writer Dositej Obradović and philologist Vuk Karadžić, while revolutionary leader Karađorđe also treated his wounds there. King Alexander I Obreno- vić, who was personally treated there, issued a decree in 1898 bequeathing this spa to“the people of the Podrinjski District for their man- agement and use”. And then, in 1904, King Peter I Karađorđević decided to construct a modern European spa there. The foundations of the steam bath, as the spa’s central point, were laid in May of that same year, while porcelain bathtubs and mud baths were available to guests three years later. The very bene cial treatments were enjoyed by King Peter himself, initially in 1908, after which he became a regular visitor to the spa, sometimes spending more than a month there each year. It was said at the time that some governmental aairs had to wait for the king to return from Koviljača. The baths today bear the name of King Peter and also contain the king’s bathtub, which spa guests can use if they wish. Luxury hotels and villas then be- gan being built one after the other, with the landscaped park established that connects all facilities of the spa. Many agree that this spa’s most beautiful facility is the Kur-salon, which has been renovat- ed and now glistens in its full splendour once again. This beautiful building, representing the symbol of the spa, was opened in 1932 under the patronage of King Alexander Karađorđević. Testifying to the former importance of the Kur-sa- lon is the fact that the rst casino in the Balkans wasopenedthere,the rstMissYugoslaviabeau- ty pageant was held there and Emir Kusturica shot part of the lm “When Father Was Away on Business”, for which he won a Palme d’Or in Cannes. Those who’ve been lucky enough to sample some of its bene ts say that they re- turned from this spa feeling literally reborn.
Kralj Petar Prvi Karađorđević 1904. odlučio je da se ovde podigne moderna evropska banja in 1904, King Peter I Karađorđević decided to construct a modern European spa here
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