Thermal Waters
The Teplice Spa achieves extraordinary curative success thanks to the objective of using natural, curative resources – the Teplice thermal springs.
These originate in a massive, much cracked ryolite body creating a belt 12 km wide and 18 km long from the southern outskirts of Teplice to the German border. The body up to 1000 m thick was broken through in geological times to create the distinct Podkrušnohorské Valley with later sediments, including an important brown coal layer.
The thermal springs originally sprung from the ground in three groups. In the Teplice group the most significant source was the "Pravřídlo" (Primary Hot Spring), with a temperature of 49° C and with an ampleness of up to 800 m3 per day. The other known sources here were the 3 springs called Dámské (Ladies) Springs, the Písečný (Sandy) Spring and the Oční (Eye) Spring. In the Šanov group the most famous source was originally the Kamenolázeňský (Stone Spa) Spring with a temperature of 38° C, with an ampleness of up to 400 m3 per day. In addition, it is possible to name others: the Vojenský (Military), Hadí (Snake), Štěpánčin (Stephen’s) Sirný (Sulphuric), Luční (Meadow) and Pahorkový (Hilly) Springs. West of Teplice near the town of Lahošť, the massive Giant Spring had an ampleness of up to 3 600 m3 per day and a temperature of 27°C.
Starting in the mid 19th century, a sharp increase of brown coal mining took place in the entire Podkrušnohorské Valley, including the area between Teplice and Duchov. On February 10, 1879, during tunnel digging in the Döllinger mine near Duchov, a massive crack appeared in the ryolite body where it bordered the coal bed, from which water of a temperature of up to 22,5°C issued in an amount of up to 33 m3 per second. The mine was flooded within 40 minutes, taking the lives of 23 miners. The water kept filling into the remaining mines of the area, interconnected by tunnels. 64 hours later, all of Teplice’s thermal springs sank down. It was the first world disaster of this type. Intensive work was immediately commenced to rediscover the natural thermal sources. This work was so successful that the main spa season was not even disrupted. It is however necessary to mention that this was possible only do to strict rules binding the mines and the spa to complex remedial measures. These were most demanding directly after the Döllinger break and after following breaks in the Viktorin and Gisela mines located near to the Döllinger mine.
In the course of the last 120 years, many demanding and expensive works had to be gradually realised to secure the lasting quality of the sources. During technical work in Teplice near the House of Culture, at a depth of 978 meters, a new, ample source of thermal waters was discovered. It was given the name Hynie, after the discoverer of the source. It has a stable temperature of 44.5° C and an ampleness of up to 1700 m3/day.
In a relatively short period following the underground breaks, in addition to the progressive, cognitive therapeutic qualities of the thermal springs and technical advancements connected to the sources and balneo-operations, there gradually occurred a reduction of the number of springs used down from fourteen to two, the Primary Hot Spring and the Horský (Mountainous) Spring. This is how it was until the 1980’s. Since the discovery of the new source, Hynie, all the needs for thermal waters in the spas, as well as in the Šanov Aquacenter, have been covered by a mixture of the thermal waters taken from the Primary Hot Spring and Hynie sources. The quality of these sources is ideal for the significant treatment purposes of the Teplice Spa.
The natural curative sources of Teplice require permanent care. The Teplice Spa , now entering into the new millennium, have considerably improved them. During the demanding original redevelopment of the 50 metre deep shaft of the Primary Hot Spring in 2000, first-class monitoring and regulation equipment was installed. The state of the source is inspected and its utilisation consequentially regulated using state-of-the-art computer technology and specialised software. Significant positive results were thus achieved very quickly in the case of this source.
The last significant step in the care for the Teplice thermal spring was the complex reconstruction of the Primary Hot Spring’s pumping station, which also includes partial reconstruction of the spring’s shaft and installation of highly effective pumping directly from the main thermal outflow crack. This original reconstruction, which includes first-class hygienic and safety measures, has definitely propelled the level of drawing from the Teplice thermal springs and their consequential utilisation into Europe’s highest standards.
This all has one purpose: Securing thermal sources of the highest possible quality for spa guests.
The quality of the thermal springs involves consistent, careful control with regular, monthly analyses, which are performed by a hygienic office. In addition to chemical analyses of the basic components, the bacteriological character of the thermal waters is carefully checked. The sources, water basins of the thermal waters and all balneo-operations are inspected. The chemical composition of the sources is considerably stable. This is proven by very demanding, complete analyses consisting of physical, chemical, gaseous, radiological and microbiological analyses, carried out by the Reference Laboratory for Natural Therapeutic Sources of the Czech Republic Ministry of Health, in Mariánské lázně (Marienbad) every 5 years according to the Spa Act No. 164/2001 Coll. These analyses state the following, official classifications of the sources:
The PRIMARY HOT SPRING natural thermal source is a natural, slightly mineralized, therapeutic water of a hydrogencarbonate-sulphuric-lime-sodium type with an increased content of fluoride, thermal, hypotonic. Temperature: 38.5°C. Total mineral content: 1 026 mg per litre.
The HYNIE natural thermal source is a natural, slightly mineralized, therapeutic water of a hydrogencarbonate-sulphuric-sodium type with an increased content of fluoride, thermal, hypotonic. Temperature: 44.5°C. Total mineral content: 1 319 mg per litre.