The spa is located some 25 kilometres from Prague at the confluence of the Elbe and the Jizera only a few kilometres from vast fields with wells in Kárané where Prague takes its drinking water from. The spa was founded in 1868 by the local businessman Jan Králík on a ferrous spring. The ferrous spring was the base of the spa until 1889, when the sulfur ferrous bath in the Labiště at Čelákovice quag became the main treatment procedure. From that year on quag baths became a part of the treatment. Joints and spinal column started being treated there as well by means of whirpool baths. In 1979 the town obtained the spa status. The spa is, however, not suitable for patients suffering from heart diseases, those who are almost immobile and for people suffering from epilepsy. What is treated are diseases of spinal column, joints and soft part of the locomotive apparatus (diagnoses no. VII: 1,2,6,8,9,10,11,12 and 14). Our medical team has great results in the treatment of locomotive problems, mainly with such diseases as arthrosis or Bechtěrev disease. Apart from quaggy baths, the patients can be offered other ususal procedures such as bubble baths, various massages, cryotherapy or the possibility of acupuncture as well as chiropractics. The family atmosphere of the spa, whose capacity is not very big, attract those who also want to have a rest. It is no wonder that some of the spas´s guests were e.g. the poet Josef Svatopluk Machar, writers Jan and Josef Čapek. In 1940´s Emil Zátopek started visiting the spa. Thanks to him Zátopkova, top sportspeople started using the spa as well. There were e.g. Ludvík Daněk, Jarmila Kratochvílová or Helena Fibingerová. The spa still maintains its extensive clientele, amongst them also the singer Jarmila Novotná, or writers Adolf Branald or Bohumil Hrabal. (more information at www.laznetousen.cz)

Oskar Exner