Marconi Sanatorium in Busko-Zdrój

The opening of this building on 1 June 1836 is regarded as the birth of the spa town of Busko-Zdrój. The former Baths (Łazienki) were designed by Henryk Marconi (Enrico Marconi), a Warsaw architect of Italian origin, who modelled them on Roman public buildings. Today this is the Marconi Sanatorium, where you can still drink sulphur water in the pump room and listen to a concert in the historic hall.

History: from a lease to a resort

In 1833 the physician Jakub Enoch leased Busko for 25 years and undertook to build a bathhouse. Marconi received the commission, and the Baths opened with ceremony three years later. Marconi also designed the surrounding garden, now part of a spa park covering more than 24 ha. Around the sanatorium the greenery is laid out as an English garden with winding paths; the only formal element is the Avenue of Dreams, which leads in a broad French-garden line to the park gate.

For almost two centuries the Neoclassical building has remained the heart of the resort. Today it belongs to the Uzdrowisko Busko-Zdrój spa company and can accommodate around 170 guests in single and double rooms and suites.

What to see

• The pump room in the historic Baths building, where Busko's famous sulphur water is served.
• The concert hall, which hosts classical and contemporary recitals, folk and pop concerts and poetry evenings; the spa orchestra often plays here.
• The Promenade of Stars in front of the main entrance, modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with "suns" for figures such as Krystyna Jamroz, Krzysztof Penderecki, Wiesław Ochman and Bogusław Kaczyński.
• The bandstand, fountain and St Anne's Chapel in the park nearby, and by the park gate the Imosówka, the former gardener's house.

Interesting facts

Busko lies about 150 km from the Tatra Mountains, yet on clear days the peaks can be seen from here. The resort treats patients with sulphur water, iodine-bromine brine and peloid mud, and the distinctive smell of sulphur follows you between the pavilions. From the Baths to the market square runs Mickiewicz Avenue, an 850 m promenade lined mainly with horse chestnuts.

Tripto tip

Allow about an hour for a walk in the park with a stop at the pump room. Summer is the nicest time, when the concert hall and the bandstand host events, including the music festivals Busko is known for. Check pump-room hours and the concert programme with the spa operator before you go. From the market square it is a pleasant walk along Mickiewicz Avenue; parking is easiest in the town centre.