For the last ten years, the team of BHMW as has been intensively engaged in the renewal and rebirth of Czech spa traditions. After the closure of export channels during the period of totalitarianism after the Second World War, he continued the trade routes of Czech medicinal waters abroad and created new markets in Asia, where Czech medicinal waters represent luxury goods. Since 2011, he has been involved in the construction, reconstruction and development strategies of the world-famous Bílina spring location. Significant achievements include the start of operation of a modern bottling plant in reconstructed historical buildings in Bílina, participation Bílinské kyselky for the beverages of the World Golf Championship WGC Doral Miami 2013, the NHL team Arizona Coyotes, partnership in the Czech Miss competitions and support for Teplice football and Litvínov hockey.
Among the professional achievements, another important milestone in the work on the restoration of Czech spa traditions is also the purchase of a medicinal water bottling plant in Mariánské Lázně, which had been inactive for many years, obtaining all permits from the ministries and the successful reintroduction of the Mariánské Lázné springs to pharmacies and the free market. The town hall of Mariánské Lázně thus takes the reconstruction in Bílina as an example of the quality of the work carried out and is preparing an extensive plan for reconstruction, revitalization and spa construction in the vicinity of the colonnade of the Ferdinand spring and the Úšovice meadow with the company BHMW as. The project is called "New Ferdinand".
Currently, the team of BHMW as is engaged in other activities that go far beyond the problem of bottling springs. These are not only plans for the refinement and social use of the surroundings of the Bílina and Mariánské Lázně bottling plants, but also plans to increase the attractiveness of our region for foreign and domestic tourists and spa development in reclaimed areas. The marketing department of BHMW as is preparing plans to increase public awareness and the Czech spa industry and its potential, as well as elaborate and complex projects for educating young people in a highly attractive and entertaining way.
The pearls of world spas are in the heart of the Ústí region
The company BHMW a.s. currently provides the bottling and distribution of natural medicinal resources of the Czech Republic, defined by law and directly subject to the Ministry of Health. Natural mineral waters with therapeutic use Bílinská kyselka a Jaječická bitter not only have they been part of the Czech national wealth for more than three centuries, but they also represent the world's best in the field. (Only the French city of Vichy has comparable sources.) Medicinal springs from the Ústí region gave the name to the most widespread product of the newly emerging pharmacy. For centuries the whole world imitated the effects of Bílinská and Zaječická in the "Sedlecké powders" preparations. This Czech natural wealth, excellent above all others, is the key to the development of spa and wellness tourism in our region and to its profiling as an attractive place to live. Here is the story of the journey of the rebirth of Czech spa traditions, which began ten years ago.
Bílinská and Zaječická and Rudolfův in bottles are the original springs?
New marking of the Protection zone of the first level of natural healing resources Bílina.
Yes, they are original sources that are mentioned in all world encyclopedias. At present, however, most people are living in a delusion thanks to changes in the labeling of medicinal waters given by the European Union. The new legislation says that any water from the ground is "mineral" because it is from a mineral environment. From the point of view of consumers, even the most ordinary drinking water has become "mineral" overnight. However, for hundreds of years, this label was used exclusively for medicinal waters. That is why most people today think that every mineral water contains healing minerals. This is not the case, mineral water from the store may not contain any minerals at all. Bílinská, Zaječická and Mariánskolazaňský Rudolph's spring according to the new label, they are "natural mineral waters for therapeutic use".
How are our Czech healing springs from the Ústí region doing today?
Throughout the history of the Czech nation, Bílinská and Zaječická have been considered the most valuable Czech healing springs. In the western part of Europe, the beverage industry pushed natural healing sources somewhat into the background, but the situation is different towards the east of us. There, natural treatment often clearly wins over synthetic pharmaceuticals. Thanks to centuries-old encyclopedic records, it is not a problem to present our waters abroad as luxury goods.
The premises of the bottling plant in Bílina now look at least as good as on the postcards, what led you to this work?
When building the great work of the rebirth of the Czech spa industry, the logical first step was to restore and build a new high-quality facility for bottling the springs.
Therefore, since 2011, our team and I have been involved in the reconstruction of the bottling plant in Bílina, which, thanks to its world-renowned reputation, was conceived as a castle. These are listed buildings and, thanks to our hard work, they are once again an ornament to the city of Bílina. And we continue and complete things according to our inner plan.
How much did the renovation cost and where did the money come from?
The directorate was founded by Bílina. Photo: Jiří Zelenka
As a company, we responded to three calls from European OPPI funds. We stuck to the hard rules after a difficult decision. The EU participates in the reconstruction with a 60% deposit, the rest comes from the company's resources. It must be said, however, that the greater part of the money was devoted to the reconstruction of historical objects and works of art, which are not the direct object of the business. But they are our visible contribution to the future spa development of the city.
In addition to historical buildings, you also built modern production technology.
We decided on a very sensitive location of the production plant in such a way that it would not interfere with the future operation of the spa. The new plant is located "underground" under a green roof, which allows barrier-free access from the spa street Kyselská. If spa development occurs, we are ready to turn this roof and upper floor of the railway loading building into an attractive social center and club. The new technology of water accumulation in pressure mode is of the highest quality standard and enables the filling of plastic and glass bottles in the highest quality that has ever been achieved in Bílina.
Who was the supplier of production technology to the BHMW as plants?
The vast majority of the technology was constructed by the company Nápojová technika Chotěboř. The water management system was supplied by Nerez Blučina. We try to cooperate with Czech suppliers as much as possible. For example, we print labels in České Budějovice.
How do you plan to use the beautiful Bílinská kyselka main building?
Part of our activities is not only bottling itself, we are also preparing several regional development projects. The moral pillar of everything is the public Museum Bílinská kyselka, specialized in mineralogy, geology and balneology. Of course, the exposition dedicated to railways and other technical interesting things will also find its place here. After all, students in Austria-Hungary knew Bílinská kyselka as a model plant and an example of work organization, hygiene and the use of modern technologies based on electricity. Among the other projects that will find their background in the main building are teaching spaces for students of balneology and natural science conferences, the project to create the leisure area Kyselka21, the project to develop spa areas in reclaimed areas "Most, spa town". We are now launching a project with colleagues from Offroad Safari. A very interesting project is also the project with the working name "Scifi park Most", which is probably the most attractive possible form of youth involvement in the issue of reclamation and care of water resources that can be devised.
The plans are really extensive, can you manage to implement them all?
The basis of managerial work is also the art of building a highly capable team of professionals. Extremely creative people who have far-reaching experience and a broad overlap of many fields. We have such a team in the company, and you will certainly come across their work.
I noticed that you have been communicating with the public through tours and open days for several years. What led you to this?
We follow the "show is valid" rule. So that people do not have to rely on their imagination, they can find a suitable date on our website bhmw.cz/exkurze and see the results of our work with their own eyes. This way they can easily see where the funds have been invested and what standard we have created. Excursions and communication with the public are also an important source of knowledge for us, which is processed by our marketing department. Thanks to this, we know what the general opinions are in society and what people expect from us.
And what did you find out, for example?
Today we already know that the aforementioned change in the nomenclature of mineral water is a big problem. People live in the illusion that all mineral water on the market is medicinal. We also know that our public's awareness of the historical essence of our region is extremely minimal, which is apparently unique in the world. Most people know nothing about our region and its history. As a result, he doesn't even find any reason to be interested in history. But this automatically leads to a lack of basic civic pride and a reluctance to stay here. We will try to influence this by making our museum as attractive as possible.
No one knows that the word "sour" means water naturally sparkling with oxygen, and even the participation of Bílinská kyselka in world golf did not provoke a reaction or inspiration from our fellow citizens. But we know from the study of the national library that this shyness of worldliness and fear of admitting to leadership in the field is rather typical for our nation. When Teplice was called the "salon of Europe" and Bílina the "German Vichy", this proud designation was mostly not used by the Czechs themselves, but by the foreign nobility that ruled in our cities. But Bílina belonged to the Czech Lobkovická nobility.
All the topics we discuss are comprehensive and interesting. Are you planning to summarize them?
Our directorate of Bílina springs has been publishing professional publications for centuries. We are planning to publish a book about the reconstruction of the bottling plant complex in Bílina in 2011-2015. It will draw on a similar publication of our directorate from 1898 and will thus contain a lot of very interesting historical data. The essence of our activity does not change, we try to fully continue the development started by the Lobkovic court builder, architect Sáblík. During his tenure, everything important was created in the Bílinsk spring complex a hundred years ago.
Many people associate bottling plants with spa facilities in Bílina. What is the reality?
Our company owns a complex of bottling plants. The hall of the public spring with a colonnade and the spa building belong to the town of Bílina. Historically, there was a bottling plant near the Bílinská kyselka monuments before the spa. The world-famous spa was operated in Teplice, where Bílinská and Zaječická were also used. From important spa guests, nobility and monarchs, the Bílin springs spread all over the world. The spa in Bílina was used for drinking treatments for Teplice spa guests. Due to the educational activities of Bílina and foreign doctors, who later became respected personalities in the field of balneology, there was a need to build a smaller spa house in Bílina. However, neither Bílinská nor Zaječická are used for baths, internal balneation was practiced here, i.e. treatment by drinking.
Do you still have ideas on how to make the spa building in Bílina operational?
We think that its best use would be in building the faculty of natural healing resources of the future University of Balneology and building a faculty spa workplace where students would provide spa procedures to the public as part of their education. The University of Balneology is the absolute key to the development of spa tourism in our regions.
What is your attitude towards cooperation with public administration and city halls?
We are ready for any cooperation in the field of development activities of the city and the region. All our activities in the promotion of natural healing resources are always practically coincident with the promotion of our cities as tourist attractive places that have a lot to offer.
