Bílinská kyselka and Zaječická bitter water
These names are far from just a regional brand. For centuries, both two healing springs have been the world's top and important phenomena of the European concept of SPA. Under the names BILINER Sauerbrun a Saidschitzer Bitterwasser (Sedlitz Wasser) already the first encyclopedia Brittanica mentions the medicinal springs of the Lobkovice princely directorate of springs "known throughout the civilized world".
Bílina Kyselka, the place where history was written
The sources of the most famous European healing springs were visited by important world personalities. I was visited by JJ Berzelius, the father of modern chemistry. A. Humboldt, a German travel legend, JW Goethe, L. Beethoven and many others. They came here for the springs and for Dr. AE Reuss (father of European balneology) and V. Löschner from the nearby "salon of Europe" in spa town Teplice. Also due to passionate discussions, whether the impressive mountain Bořeň is here (Biliner Stein) a real "German stratovolcano". But that's not it, it's the igneous rock of a phreatomagmatic volcano, just like all the other mountains of the Czech Central Highlands.
What can we find in the area of Bílinské kyselky today
In the area Bílinská kyselka you will find a comprehensive set of reconstructed buildings of the princely commercial and industrial directorate of springs, spa buildings, a huge spa forest park with an arboretum, a forest amphitheater with a digital cinema, mini golf, a spa restaurant, a large swimming pool, tennis, a football field, an athletic stadium and an information trail. In the near future, a museum of mineralogy and mineral extraction is being prepared, as well as a museum of the most famous railway of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the richest private company in Central Europe, Aussiger-Teplitzer Eisenbahn.
What is Bílinská kyselka?
Bílinská kyselka is the strongest spring with an excellent alkaline and naturally sparkling composition. The old Czech word "kiselka" means a spring with carbonic "oxygen" content. This natural astringency, very suitable for use in gastronomy due to its refreshing taste, also distinguishes Bílinská most from the otherwise very similar sources of the French spa town of Vichy.
Thanks to this similarity, Bílina was also called "German Vichy" in world literature. Alkaline medicinal waters are the queens of medicinal waters due to their versatile use. From the simple reduction of stomach acidity, through the long-term regulation of gastric acid excretion, Bílinská is suitable for almost all processes of digestion and metabolism. Throughout the period of Austria-Hungary and socialism, it was recommended for industrial operations, for diabetics and for preventive drinking treatments to prevent kidney and urinary stones.
What is Zaječická horká
Jaječická bitter water as the clearest bitter salt spring caught the attention of the world public thanks to the report of Bedřich Hoffman, the personal physician of the Prussian monarch. He found in it a long-sought successor to English Epsom salt, which was known as a perfect laxative. Bitter salt, magnesium sulfate, remains the perfect laxative due to its ability to dissolve the contents of the intestines. Jaječická bitter it is still mined today in the same place in the same qualities and is very popular and often directly crucial for patients. The first encyclopedia printed in Czech also speaks of the fact that it "purifies the blood", and today we already know that its sulfate content helps to efficiently metabolize toxins and eliminate them from the body.
The intervention of the princely directorate established Bílin in the history of world pharmacy
The spread of awareness of the products of the Bílina springs directorate in Lobkovice also gave rise to the worldwide naming of the first "powders" produced. These first pharmacy products were spontaneously named (without the consent of the Lobkovics) as Sedlecké powders (Seidlitz Powders) and their composition was supposed to resemble Bílinská and Zaječická, which was far from the truth. But the producers were sure that people perceive Sedlecká water as a luxurious medicine. Thousands of different types of packages and boxes of Sedlecké powders are now an interesting collector's item, and this whole case justifies calling Zaječická the "mother of all medicines".