Main Pump Room in Krynica-Zdrój

The Main Pump Room in Krynica-Zdrój (KRIH-nee-tsah ZDROOY) is a glass-walled modernist pavilion on the spa town's promenade where visitors have been drinking mineral water straight from the taps since 1971. It is the social heart of one of Poland's best-known mountain spas: you can taste the notoriously strong Zuber water, sit among palm trees in the winter garden and catch a concert in its hall. For anyone wondering what to do in Krynica, this is the natural first stop.

Where it is and how to get there

Krynica-Zdrój lies in the Beskid Sądecki mountains of southern Poland, close to the Slovak border. The drive from Kraków takes about 2.5 hours via Nowy Sącz, and Kraków John Paul II Airport is the nearest international gateway. Trains also run to Krynica via Nowy Sącz. The pump room stands on the pedestrian promenade in the town center; park in one of the paid public lots nearby and walk a few minutes. A free spa bus service (lines 1, 3, 4 and 5) links the center with the Jaworzyna Krynicka gondola and the Słotwiny ski area.

A piece of Polish postwar modernism

The building was designed by Stanisław Spyt and Zbigniew Mikołajewski, built in 1969–1971 and opened on July 18, 1971 as the "New Pump Room." Its light glass box with a flat roof won a government architecture award and remains one of the landmark postwar buildings of Polish spa towns. Krynica's very first pump room, Słotwinka, built in 1806, once stood on this spot before being moved to a nearby park in the 19th century.

A major renovation in 2013–2014 replaced the roof, the aluminum frame and the glass facade, along with floors, railings and the plants in the winter garden. The pump room reopened on October 3, 2014. Architecture fans note that some original details, such as the aluminum ceiling and gold zigzag lighting, were lost in the process.

What to see and taste

• The tap wall, clad in white "Biała Marianna" marble from Lower Silesia.
• Healing and mineral waters such as Zuber, Jan, Słotwinka, Mieczysław, Tadeusz, Józef and Kryniczanka. Zuber is the famous one: heavily mineralized with a very intense taste. Try a sip at least.
• A winter garden with palms, especially striking when there is snow outside.
• A concert hall for about 350 people, used year-round, including during the Jan Kiepura Festival, named after the Polish tenor and film star who funded the Patria hotel here.
• Kryniczanka Cafe inside the building.

The building covers roughly 4,540 m² (about 48,900 sq ft). Healing waters are strongly mineralized, so spa patients drink them in measured doses on a doctor's advice. Casual visitors usually just sample a few.

Practical information

• Address: al. Leona Nowotarskiego 9/3, 33-380 Krynica-Zdrój.
• Contact: +48 18 473 83 34, pijalnia@uzdrowisko-krynica-zegiestow.pl. The building belongs to the Krynica-Żegiestów spa company.
• Opening hours: the pump room is open year-round, but the operator does not publish a current schedule online and published times vary, so call ahead (as of October 2026).
• Prices: water prices are not listed online and are paid in Polish złoty (PLN). Check on site.
• Signage is mainly in Polish, so a translation app helps with the water descriptions.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially combined with a walk along the promenade. Allow 30 to 60 minutes, more if there is a concert. Nearby are the 1889 Old Spa House, the Nikifor Museum devoted to the self-taught Lemko painter, the funicular up Góra Parkowa (running since 1937) and the gondola to Jaworzyna Krynicka (1,114 m). Krynica is pleasant year-round: summer brings promenade concerts and winter brings skiing.