Municipal Baths

In 1814 Jan Breuer opened a bathhouse and pub in the Valdické suburb near to the statue of Wenceslaus I. These baths, sometimes known as the Wenceslaus Baths (Svatováclavské lázně) stayed in operation through to the dawn of the 20^th century. They were a private facility, however, and their amenities could hardly satisfy the growing demands of the local population. The town council thus decided to set up their own baths. A suitable site for construction was presented by part of the garden behind the old Post Office building at no. 46 in Božena Němcová Street, which the town purchased in 1904. Construction was entrusted to local contractors, and followed designs drawn up by local architect and town official Bedřich Pek.

The baths were designed and built as a three-winged building, flat-roofed, with a  raised central section facing east, i.e. toward Božena Němcová Street. The facades had a somewhat sober, simple design, executed in a Neo-Renaissance spirit. The core decorative feature was the profiled cornice, running above the windows around the entire circumference of the building. The main entrance was situated in the central section of the eastern façade, and was accessed up a short flight of steps bordered by an ornamental iron balustrade. The entranceway, fitted with decorative double doors, was framed by columns with Corinthian capitals bearing an entablature with a triangular pediment. The frontage carried the inscription “Municipal Baths”, situated in the central, raised section, and decorated by two symmetrically positioned stucco escutcheons.

The main entrance opened onto a hallway, leading to the northern and southern wings of the building. In the front part of the building, Bedřich Pek designed space for a shower baths, salon, and changing room, as well as a very modest apartment for the spa attendant, from where you could access the water reservoir, housed in the raised central section. The corridor travelling the southern (left-hand) wing and dividing it into two sections, was lined on either side by twelve rooms intended for spa bathing and peat treatment. In the northern (right-hand) wing, Pek situated hot and cold pools connected to a changing room. Their operation also included shower rooms, a steam room, and a room with hot air. In the western section of the northern wing, which was longer than its southern counterpart, was also situated technical areas to operate the baths. The bath spas and pools were covered in ceramic tiles manufactured by the company RAKO Rakovník.

The Municipal Steam, Bathing and People’s Spa in Jičín was officially opened on Sunday 12 November, 1905. The water was originally brought to the spa (open every day except Thursday) from nearby Kníže Pond; later it was fed by the town’s water supply. In 1906 the baths’ amenities were expanded to incorporate charcoal and peat treatments.

Relatively early on, the flat roof was substituted for a gable roof. In the 1960s the engineering equipment and steam piping underwent general repairs, and the boiler was rebuilt. Despite various later adaptations and interior modifications, the building managed to retain a share of its custom-made wall and floor tiles, the structure of the swimming pool and the chill pool, cloakroom area, and the concrete door jambs around the baths, including original metal door. Since 1992 the building has been listed on the Central Register of Cultural Monuments. The current owner has sensitively repaired the building and, partially at least, has restored it to its original function.