Lázeňský park Lázně Bohdaneč

Lázeňský park is the spa park of Lázně Bohdaneč, a roughly 17-hectare green space that forms the backbone of this Czech mud-bath resort. The park took shape shortly after the spa itself was founded in 1897 by Jan Veselý, who had examined peat deposits from nearby Libišany and decided that mud baths should become the resort's main treatment. Its final layout is the work of František Josef Thomayer, long-time head of Prague's parks and gardens department, who combined a loosely landscaped, naturalistic section with a more formal area of ornamental flower beds.

What is there to see in the park?

The park's best-known landmark is a Cubist pavilion designed by architect Josef Gočár and built in 1913, one of the rare examples of Cubist architecture built for practical, everyday use in the Czech Republic. In 1926 the building was given a mansard roof designed by Antonín Hilse, which gave it the more stately appearance it has today. The Rajská stream, used as a channel feeding the surrounding fish ponds, runs through the grounds and splits them into two distinct parts: a front section laid out as a formal garden and a back section with the character of a forest park. Around a hundred species of native and exotic trees grow here, many represented by ornamental cultivars.

Why does the park matter to the spa?

Since the resort's founding, the park has served as the walking and recreation area for guests undergoing peat treatments. Its wide paths and varied tree cover offer a quiet place to walk between treatments, and its location right next to the spa buildings makes it a natural extension of what Lázně Bohdaneč offers its guests.

Who is the park for?

For spa guests, the park is a place for daily rest and recovery: the quiet, greenery, and absence of traffic make it easy to unwind after treatments. For visitors passing through Lázně Bohdaneč, the park makes for a rewarding walk that combines natural surroundings with a look at the unusual Cubist pavilion designed by Gočár.

Frequently asked questions

How big is Lázeňský park? The park covers about 17 hectares and borders directly on the buildings of the Lázně Bohdaneč spa.

Who designed the park? Its final layout is the work of František Josef Thomayer, long-time head of Prague's parks and gardens, who combined a naturalistic landscaped section with formal flower beds.

What is the Cubist building in the park? It's a pavilion designed by Josef Gočár and built in 1913; in 1926 it received a mansard roof designed by Antonín Hilse.

What plants grow in the park? Around a hundred species of native and exotic trees and their ornamental cultivars grow across the park's landscaped and forest sections.

Why was the spa founded here in the first place? Because Jan Veselý discovered peat deposits from nearby Libišany in 1897, and that peat became the basis for the mud baths that are the resort's main treatment.