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Disclaimer

If you want a day out in an awkward location, that puts together nature & hiking, history & architecture, food and in summer a swim too, then go to Bílinská kyselka.
I know you have never heard of this place, but I hope you won’t be disappointed.

Nature & hiking

At the foot of the western side of the České středohoří (the Central Bohemian Highlands) stands a 539m high rocky hill with a characteristic silhouette, Bořeň.

Starting from the train station of Bílina kyselka you walk towards the passage under the main road and start the climb form there.
For the first section at the bottom of the hill the path is inside a forest, then it gets rockier and rockier as you reach the top – wear sturdy shoes!

The trail from Bílina kyselka to the top is ~ 3km (one-way) and it is marked in green.
You can also decide to start walking from Bílina’s main square and end in Bílina kyselka. Also this path is marked in green.

After the climb, you can sit on the big stones and enjoy the panorama, have a picnic or simply rest.
The 360° view from atop is very beautiful, especially on clear days.

In 1977 a small National Natural Reserve was created around Bořeň to help protecting and maintaining the area – so no fire and no camping are allowed.
Also, please, take the litter away with you, as there is no bar and no bin at the top.

Short history of the spa town

From the end of the 19th century and during the 20th century Bílinská kyselka was a neo-Renaissance spa complex immersed in a beautiful park.
I use the past tense here, because in the 1990s the operation of the spa was discontinued.

Today, all the buildings belonging to the old spa are still visible. Some have been restored, some others are waiting for better times.

The healing properties of the mineral water were already known during the previous centuries, and in fact bottling and shipping were already a steady business.
What gave the boost to the area were the professional publications of the geologist Frans Ambrosius Reuss and later of his son, August Emanuel Rudolph von Reuss, who was a professor of mineralogy at the universities of Prague and Vienna.

In their reports, the scientists wrote about the healing properties of the water, which was then used to treat respiratory diseases, rheumatism, kidney problems and disorders of the nervous system.

Points of interest in Bílinská kyselka

  • The building of the bottling plant (stáčírna), which still runs today. See the company website for more info.
  • The spa main building (abandoned).
  • The monument to Reuss father and son.
  • The wooden gazebo behind the main building, together with a fountain and a permanently closed pavilion, that contains a mineral water spring in the inside.
  • The “Inhalatorium“, which is only partially open to the public and it features an interior fountain with mineral water. There is a faucet on the wall, where you can drink the miraculous water from – use a glass from the dispenser that is usually onsite.
    The building also functions as a mini tourist point: there are various leaflets about the spa and the town of Bílina, and there is always someone looking after the spring.

By walking in the park around the spa, you reach the forest café “Kafáč“, built completely in wood and resembling a hunting lodge.
There you can get some food and refreshments. Check their fb page for the latest info.

Other activities

During the warmer season, the area gets more lively, with the open swimming pool, the adjacent camping area, beach volley fields, pétanque and tennis courts.
On the southern side of the spa complex there are a minigolf, a summer amphitheatre, that gets active with cultural events, and some goats at the small outdoor zoo.
The popular restaurant “U Kádi” is at right at the corner and serves Czech classical dishes.

How to get there

You can reasily each Bílinská kyselka both by car or by train.
If you travel by car, remember that in season it can be hard to find a parking spot. The area is small and parking is limited.
If you opt for the train, then you will have to change either in Ústí nad Labem or in Bílina main station and take a smaller train, that stops at the tiny places.

Did you enjoy the place, with the range of activities it offers? Let me know!