Termy Bolesławieckie are one of the city's landmarks. The exceptionally popular facility regained its pre-war splendour after a thorough renovation and is now crowded, especially during the winter holidays. A reader complained about the lack of a convenient place to change clothes at the facility.
“It is the middle of winter,” the reader wrote. “Everyone arrives in a thick coat and heavy shoes. You would think that, in such a facility, a place to change in peace would be standard. Unfortunately, in Bolesławiec, it is a luxury. For most of the year, two benches with coat hooks are available: one before the gates by the mosaic, and the other opposite the hairdryers. Imagine my surprise when, at the height of the season, when they are most needed, one of them simply vanished!” the man added.
The reader pointed to a number of things that cause discomfort as soon as visitors enter the facility.
“Dozens of customers try to cram their coats onto a single, barely holding-up coat rack,” he wrote. “Shoes block half the corridor, and you cannot even see the bench beneath the coat hooks because it disappears under a pile of clothes. Another bench is located directly beneath the hairdryers, where someone is constantly blowing hot air. You would have to be a genius to put it there. Deliberately, so that people drying their hair would get in the way of those changing their shoes,” the embittered man added.
According to the reader, one of the benches was reportedly moved to another facility: the Bolesławiec ice rink.
“It is hard to believe that the municipal company cannot afford to buy one more bench so it does not have to ‘share’ it between the swimming pool and the ice rink,” the reader added.
We contacted the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre in Bolesławiec, the unit that manages Termy Bolesławiec, but only director Paweł Dul could answer our question about the organisation of the changing area at the facility, and he was on leave at the time.
The history of the baths in Bolesławiec
The Municipal Bathing Establishments in Bolesławiec, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, were one of the city's key construction projects. Located amid the picturesque planty, the complex was developed in two stages. In 1895, the bathhouse building was constructed in a style inspired by the Italian Renaissance Revival, with a symmetrical structure featuring a dominant central section and a flat roof topped with a parapet.
The façades, originally made of red brick, were decorated with light architectural details. The investment was supported by financial councillor Albert Kessler, who covered a significant portion of the construction costs, as indicated by the inscription “Kessler Foundation Municipal Bathhouse” placed on the façade. The hall was decorated with a mosaic bearing the inscription “Salve.” Bathing facilities were arranged inside, creating a functional and aesthetically pleasing complex.