Health resort of Galicia

Abstract

Treatment at health resorts in Galicia began in the late XVIth century, but till the end of the XIXth century it did not become popular due to a low service level, a bad road condition and a poor culture of maintenance staff. With the lapse of time smart businessmen and moneylenders built in the areas with mineral water spa health resorts, small summer houses of sanatorium type and rented them for a fee. On the territory of the mountainous part of Galicia more than 500 mineral springs were found, including176 inStanislaviv Voivodeship, 151 - in Lviv Voivodeship and 139 - in Krakw Voivodeship; much less mineral springs were in Ternopil Voivodeship and Silesian Voivodeship. A strong development of the hospitality industry began in the last quarter of the XIXth - the first third of the XXth century. In the 1930s there were 95 health resorts in Galicia, 10 climatic health resorts and spa health resorts were included in the list of the best ones in Poland. There were health resorts of national importance: 2 health resorts - Krynytsia and Burkut; 8 private health resorts - Rabka, Svoshovytsi, Schavvnytsia, Zhehistiv, Ivonich, Rymaniv, Truskavets, Morshyn; 4 commercial health resorts - Krostenko, Mushyna, Pivnichna, Vysova; 3 climatic stations - Yaremche, Zakopane, Vorokhta; 21 small private health resorts and 24 climatic commercial stations. The affairs of health resort industry were managed by the Union of Polish health resorts. Recreation areas were united into three unions: the Union of summer resort counties and the gmina of Krakw Voivodeship, Intercommunal Union of county cottages and health resorts of Stanislaviv Voivodeship "The Eastern Carpathians", the Union of summer tourism counties "Bieszczady" and the gmina of Lviv Voivodeship. Every year about 350 thousand people were treated and over 1 million people were on holiday on the territory of the mountainous part of Galicia.