The Golden Age
The period of Classicism was a golden age for Teplice. The city changed its face after the fire of 1793, with massive support from the rulers of surrounding countries proving its popularity. A whole line of new spa buildings was built and the city together with the spa acquired a truly representative character. Visits of the world’s prominent personages attracted a noble community to the city. At the time, the merit for reputation of a spa centre was the amount of aristocratic guests it received, and by these lines, Teplice was becoming the “Parlour of Europe”. It was visited by monarchs like Gustaf IV the King of Sweden, Empress Maria Louise, Prussian King Frederick William III and Dutch King Louis, brother of Napoleon. Cultural icons also contributed the city’s development. In 1812, Goethe and Beethoven met here for the first time. It was here in Teplice that Beethoven wrote his legendary “Immortal Beloved” letters. Both Humboldt Brothers, one a biologist, the other a statesman and cultural personage, visited the spa for long periods.
Teplice was also a place for international negotiations and the city maintained its renown as a European centre. The city hosted the 1860 meeting between Emperor Franz Joseph and Prussian King William, German Emperor William I underwent treatments in Teplice in 1878. The presence of world leaders and their delegations contributed immensely to the spa’s popularity, which hosted 5 to 6 thousand annual visitors, and the accommodation of foreign guests brought significant economic advantages.
A significant part of the town was Šanov, which attracted on its own more guests than Teplice, due to its peaceful environment. This is also why both places were joined in the year 1895 into one, complete town, Teplice - Šanov. In comparison to other spa towns, Teplice had the advantage that accommodation and treatments in the spa buildings were basically available continuously throughout the entire year. These advantages, together with the comparatively extensive range of indicative diseases, and for its character and its exceptional guests, made Teplice very appealing.
The origins of Dubí as a spa city begin in 1860, when Tschinkel the factory-owner built the first spa building, called “Diana’s Spa”. Treatments were based on hot, cold and steam baths with fir-needles and water from a mountain stream. Spa promenades, avenues, vistas and restaurants were established at that time. Less than 20 years later, Dubí had its own spa institution: “Doctor Brecher’s Hydrotherapeutic Institution”, where patients were treated according to the Priessnitz, Hahn and Kneipp methods. Water from a spring above the institution was used for baths. Concerts and evening parties were organised for the guests, which together with good treatment results contributed to the increasing popularity of the Dubí Spa.
In the period between the World Wars, Teplice was a very lively and socially busy city with a high level of services, attractive amusements and a rich offer of cultural events. Interest in curative stays wavered despite the high level of spa care. Due to this, massage sprays, carbonic thermal baths, rehabilitation exercises and electric treatments were added to the traditional spa procedures.