Laško
Encyclopedia
Laško is a spa town
and municipality
in eastern Slovenia
. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria
region. The municipality is now included in the Savinja statistical region
. The town is located at the foothills of the Hum hill on the Savinja
River. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1227 and was granted town privileges
in 1927. It is known to have been settled since the Iron Age
and Roman
archaeological finds
are common in the area, though the precise location of the Roman settlement is not known. Today the town is best known as the town of beer and flowers and is famous for its annual Festival of Beer & Flowers (Pivo - Cvetje) and the local Laško Brewery
, the largest brewery
in the country. In 2010, Laško was heavily affected by the floods
.
The town's coat of arms
depicts three white fleurs-de-lis
on a blue field.
The local castle, known as Tabor Castle, dates to the 12th century, though it is first mentioned in written sources dating to 1265. It was burnt down during Ottoman Raids
in the late 15th century and was extended in the 16th century.
The parish church
in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Martin
and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Celje
. It is a Romanesque
building dating to the 13th century with various later additions and adaptations.
In 1818 a report appeared in a Graz
newspaper about the Laško springs. Water temperature has been measured at 35 °C (95 °F) and the setting up of a health spa was announced. An engineer named Rödel began to work systematically on the springs during the construction of the railway line. Work progressed from September 1852, when he purchased the land, until May 1854, when he ceremoniously opened the spa. The three springs were each given a name: the Emperor's Spring, Franz's Spring, and Joseph's Spring. The spa was given the name Kaiser Franz Josef Bad, after Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
. Along with a building with a pool, Rödel also reorganised the nearby mill and built a luxurious villa.
In 1857 the spa was purchased by the Viennese
professor and cosmopolitan Dr. Stein, who invited the cream of Viennese society to the health spa. For this purpose he built onto the spa's building, an extension with a dance hall and planted a park. He also took care of his guest social life. Stein was later forced to sell the spa. The spa's reputation returned under the later owner Gunkel, who radically renovated it and in 1882 built his own hydroelectric power plant, the first on Slovene soil, which lit up most of the buildings and the whole park. In cooperation with the brewery they began to brew thermal beer. During World War I
the spa played the role of a military hospital
. The property was left in disrepair after the war, but was partly renovated in 1923. Later the spa passed into the hands of the Pensions Institute (Pokojninski zavod) and the Central Office for Workers' Insurance (Osrednji urad za zavarovanje delavcev).
In October 1953 the spa was registered as a medical rehabilitation
centre. Further development mainly followed the needs of the health care service and to a large degree it was the fruit of cooperation with the orthopedic (later neurological, traumatology, and neurosurgical) clinics in Ljubljana
, regional hospitals, and health centres across Slovenia.
The Laško Thermal Spa Resort is becoming one of the most important health spas and tourist centres in Slovenia.
, that makes home comfort appliances (fans, heaters, etc.) which are sold worldwide.
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
and municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in eastern Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. Traditionally the area was part of the Lower Styria
Lower Styria
Lower Styria or Slovenian Styria is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Lower Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia...
region. The municipality is now included in the Savinja statistical region
Savinjska statistical region
The Savinja statistical region is a statistical region in Slovenia. The largest town in the region is Celje. It is named after the Savinja River....
. The town is located at the foothills of the Hum hill on the Savinja
Savinja
The Savinja is a river in northeast Slovenia which flows mostly in the Upper and Lower Savinja valley and through the cities of Celje and Laško. The Savinja is the main river of the Savinja Alps . It flows into Sava River at the town of Zidani Most. It has often flooded, such as in the 1960s,...
River. It is first mentioned in written documents dating to 1227 and was granted town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
in 1927. It is known to have been settled since the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
archaeological finds
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
are common in the area, though the precise location of the Roman settlement is not known. Today the town is best known as the town of beer and flowers and is famous for its annual Festival of Beer & Flowers (Pivo - Cvetje) and the local Laško Brewery
Laško Brewery
Laško Brewery is a brewery in the Slovenian town of Laško and the largest brewery of the country.The brewery was founded in 1825 by Franz Geyer, a gingerbread baker and mead producer. After World War II ended in 1945, Laško was the fifth-largest in Yugoslavia...
, the largest brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
in the country. In 2010, Laško was heavily affected by the floods
2010 Slovenia floods
The 2010 Slovenia floods, on the weekend of 17–19 September 2010, were caused by heavy rains in Slovenia, resulting in one of the worst floods in the country's history. Among the regions affected were the capital Ljubljana, the Zasavje region, Laško, the Slovenian Littoral and the Lower Carniola...
.
The town's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
depicts three white fleurs-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
on a blue field.
The local castle, known as Tabor Castle, dates to the 12th century, though it is first mentioned in written sources dating to 1265. It was burnt down during Ottoman Raids
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
in the late 15th century and was extended in the 16th century.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
and belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Celje
Roman Catholic Diocese of Celje
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Celje ; is a diocese located in the city of Celje in the Ecclesiastical province of Maribor in Slovenia.-Leadership:* Bishops of Celje ** Anton Stres...
. It is a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
building dating to the 13th century with various later additions and adaptations.
Spa
The healing properties of the local waters were known since antiquity. As a health resort it developed towards the end of the 19th century.In 1818 a report appeared in a Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
newspaper about the Laško springs. Water temperature has been measured at 35 °C (95 °F) and the setting up of a health spa was announced. An engineer named Rödel began to work systematically on the springs during the construction of the railway line. Work progressed from September 1852, when he purchased the land, until May 1854, when he ceremoniously opened the spa. The three springs were each given a name: the Emperor's Spring, Franz's Spring, and Joseph's Spring. The spa was given the name Kaiser Franz Josef Bad, after Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. Along with a building with a pool, Rödel also reorganised the nearby mill and built a luxurious villa.
In 1857 the spa was purchased by the Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
professor and cosmopolitan Dr. Stein, who invited the cream of Viennese society to the health spa. For this purpose he built onto the spa's building, an extension with a dance hall and planted a park. He also took care of his guest social life. Stein was later forced to sell the spa. The spa's reputation returned under the later owner Gunkel, who radically renovated it and in 1882 built his own hydroelectric power plant, the first on Slovene soil, which lit up most of the buildings and the whole park. In cooperation with the brewery they began to brew thermal beer. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the spa played the role of a military hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. The property was left in disrepair after the war, but was partly renovated in 1923. Later the spa passed into the hands of the Pensions Institute (Pokojninski zavod) and the Central Office for Workers' Insurance (Osrednji urad za zavarovanje delavcev).
In October 1953 the spa was registered as a medical rehabilitation
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
centre. Further development mainly followed the needs of the health care service and to a large degree it was the fruit of cooperation with the orthopedic (later neurological, traumatology, and neurosurgical) clinics in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, regional hospitals, and health centres across Slovenia.
The Laško Thermal Spa Resort is becoming one of the most important health spas and tourist centres in Slovenia.
Other uses
Lasko Products is also the name of an American company, located in West Chester, PennsylvaniaWest Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
, that makes home comfort appliances (fans, heaters, etc.) which are sold worldwide.