Banja Koviljača ( sr-cyrl, Бања Ковиљача, ) is a popular tourist spot and spa town located in the city of

Loznica Loznica ( sr-cyrl, Лозница, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Mačva District of western Serbia, on the right bank of the Drina river. In 2022 the city had a total population of 19,515, while the administrative area had a ...

, Serbia. Situated on the west border of Serbia by the

Drina River The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...

and from

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

, it is the oldest spa town in Serbia. As of 2011 census, it has 5,151 inhabitants.

Name

''Banja Koviljača'' is named after the plant ''kovilje'' ('' Stipa pennata'') or feather grass, "banja" being the Serbian word for spa. It is also known as ''Kraljevska Banja'' ("The Royal Spa").

Features

Banja Koviljača has a number of sulfuric and iron-bearing thermal mineral springs, ranging from 21 to 38 degrees Celsius in temperature. Patients drink and bathe in these waters, which are also used for the preparation of

mud pack This is a list of teams and organizations that appear in various DC Comics publications. Note: Please check :DC Comics superhero teams before adding any redundant entries for superhero teams to the page. 0-9 100 1,000 2000 Committee A ...

s. The location of the spa was chosen for its proximity to useful natural elements: the Drina river, which can be forded; the wooded

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

Gučevo, which served as shelter from enemies; the plains, which supplied food; and the water, which was (and still is) considered to have medicinal properties.

History

Originally known as

Koviljkin grad Koviljkin grad or Koviljka is a name for archaeological ruins close to Banja Koviljača in the Loznica district of western Serbia. The ruins are of a Roman town, which may have been named Gensis; the name has never been confirmed. It is located on ...

, it was built by the Romans and there are some claims that the name of this

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

settlement is "Genzis", but it was never confirmed. The first document mentioning the spa was written in 1533. In the 18th century, Turks from

Mačva Mačva ( sr-Cyrl, Мачва, ; ) is a geographical and historical region in the northwest of Central Serbia, on a fertile plain between the Sava (river), Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is nam ...

and

Podrinje Podrinje ( sr-Cyrl, Подриње) is the Slavic name of the Drina river basin, known in English as the Drina Valley. The Drina basin is shared between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with majority of its territory being located in Eastern ...

came to visit this region. Some documents state that in 1720, Turks from the city of

Zvornik Zvornik ( sr-cyrl, Зворник, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2013, it had a population of 58,856 inhabitants. Zvornik is located on the Drina River, on the eastern slopes of Majevica mountain, at the altitude of ...

built a medical bathroom for women named the "Stinking Spa", due to the sulfuric water from the springs. A legend states that a caravan had been passing in the area when he had to leave his horse behind because it was exhausted, and rolling in the mud. It is said that when the caravan returned, the horse had been cured.

Vuk Stefanović Karadžić VUK or Vuk may refer to: *Vuk (name), South Slavic given name ** Vuk, Ban of Bosnia (), a member of the Kotromanić dynasty ** Vuk Karadžić (1787–1864), Serbian language reformer and folklorist, often referred to simply as Vuk * ''Vuk'' (film) ...

, wrote about the sulfuric puddle and cold mineral springs when describing this region in 1827. According to Karadžic, its real name, Spa, was derived from the old town, fortress, which had been built on the hill above the current Spa. According to Kanić, Spa received its name from a very popular plant ''kovilja'' ('' Stipa pennata'') which grows on nearby slopes and hills. The first chemical analysis of the water was performed by the chemist Pavle Ilić in the year 1855. The first guest house was built in 1858 with ten rooms. In 1867, under the order of the Prince Mihajlo Obrenović, the spa won state protection. Development of Banja Koviljača began on 1 August 1898, when a law was passed opening it to the people of the Podrinje district for exploration. Intensive development occurred until 1930, when Koviljača's jurisdiction was changed to Drinska Banovina, the capital in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

. Kur-salon, entertainment hall considered to be the most impressive building in the spa, was built in 1932 by order of King Aleksandar Karađorđević. Until 1970 this sanatorium operated under the name “Natural Sanatorium Spa Koviljača”. From 1970 to 1998, it was known as the “Institute for dissipated and post-traumatic conditions”. In 1980, a facility for therapy and amenities was added. Since 1998 it has been called the “Special hospital for rehabilitation Spa Koviljača”. Medical services are provided by physicians of the Institute of Discopathy. Koviljača Spa is one of the locations where Republic of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

has a Centre for Asylum Seekers. The center is a dedicated organization within the Commissariat for Refugees of Serbia. The centre was opened in 1965. and was used for accommodation of asylum seekers from South America and Eastern Europe until 1991. Between 1991. and 2006. it was used for accommodation of refugees from

Bosnia & Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

and

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. The centre was renovated in 2006, and since 2007. was used to accommodate asylum seekers under the auspices of the

UNHCR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and Humanitarian protection, protect refugees, Internally displaced person, forcibly displaced communities, and Statelessness, s ...

Geographical setting

Gučevo is a wooded mountain which rises above the Banja Koviljača Spa to the south. The mountain extends from northwest to southeast and from Koviljača to the mountain Boranja. It is 15 kilometers long. The peak of the Gučevo Mountain is Crni Vrh, and its altitude is 779 m above sea level. Mount Gučevo is composed mainly of limestone and sand. In the past, there was a terrain fissure on the mountain, which was significant to the occurrence of thermo-mineral waters. The mountain of Gučevo has many clear water springs which grow into smaller brooks overhung by high beech

forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...

. The river Drina dominates the area and meanders between Mačva and Semberija.

Events

*International folk festival of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an dances - August, Banja Koviljača,

File:King Peter's bath in Banja Koviljaca 2.JPG, King Peter's bath in Banja Koviljaca File:Fountain in Banja Koviljaca.JPG, Fountain in Banja Koviljaca File:Hotel Dalmatia, Banja Koviljaca.JPG, Hotel Dalmatia File:Hotel Herzegovina, Banja Koviljaca.JPG, Hotel Herzegovina File:KUR salon.JPG, Kur-salon File:Citadel in Banja Koviljaca.JPG, Citadel File:One_of_the_abandoned_villas_in_Banja_Koviljaca.JPG, One of the many abandoned villas File:Tree at Banja Koviljaca.jpg, Tree at Banja Koviljaca File:Spomen galerija, Banja Koviljača 001.jpg, Memorial Gallery of the Battle of the Drina (1914)

References

External links

*
Youth & Children Home "Vera Blagojević" Banja Koviljača

Banja Koviljaca tourist guide

Banja Koviljaca Serbian spa

Suncana reka u Banji Koviljaci
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banja Koviljaca Populated places in Mačva District Spa towns in Serbia Loznica