Prolom Banja

Prolom Banja, a spa settlement of 131 residents as recorded in the 2011 census, rests within the municipality of Kuršumlija in southern Serbia. Set against the wooded foothills of Radan and Sokolovica mountains at elevations between 550 and 670 metres, it occupies a secluded valley in a former volcanic region. The enduring appeal of its six thermal springs—emanating water at temperatures from 26 °C to 33.8 °C—has shaped its development from prehistoric healing site to a modern health and wellness destination.

Nestled amid peaks that rise between 943 and 1,409 metres, Prolom Banja’s topography reflects its volcanic origins. To the north, Sokolovica ascends to 1,050 metres; to the northeast, Arbanaška peaks at 1,109 metres; to the east, the bulk of Radan reaches 1,409 metres; southward, Prolomska Planina stands at 1,104 metres; and to the southwest, Mejanska Planina attains 943 metres. These forested elevations, averaging around one thousand metres, shape a temperate continental climate with subalpine traits: summers bring moderate warmth, limited precipitation and cool nocturnal air; winters extend in length, marked by persistent cold and substantial snowfall.

Archaeological research suggests that the thermal springs of Prolom Banja served local communities continuously from prehistoric times until the Late Ottoman era, when spas across the region fell into disuse. Local revival began after the First World War on private land owned by the Ćurčić family. By 1940, periodicals noted approximately two thousand annual visitors to the springs, drawn by reports of therapeutic benefits. The transformation accelerated in 1956, and in 1961 the “Planinka” company of Kuršumlija assumed responsibility for guest reception and medical programmes. The inaugural Radan Hotel opened in 1968 with twenty-eight beds; an annex in 1976 added 128 beds, and in 1982 further expansion was enabled by the discovery—via geo-exploration drilling—of eleven litres per second of 29 °C spring water. In 1989 a second annex introduced 270 additional beds, a therapeutic block and an indoor pool.

The springs themselves divide into two principal sources located 950 metres apart. The central spa settlement hosts the eastern spring, comprising six wells that yield 4.5 L/s of water at 30–33.8 °C. The western, or “Pupavci,” spring lies in the Vukovići hamlet of Veliko Pupavce, where well B-5 produces approximately 6.5 L/s at 30.5 °C. Thermal water from B-5 is conveyed by pipeline to a central reservoir, from which it is allocated to bathing suites, therapeutic facilities, rehabilitation pools, space heating in hotel structures and potable systems. Classified as nitrogenous, moderately alkaline, low-mineralized sodium hydrocarbonate water rich in silicic acid and containing minimal fluorine, Prolom water belongs to a rare category of high balneological value.

Beyond direct hydrotherapy, Prolom Banja employs medicinal mud in treatment regimens. Historically, visitors harvested mud from nearby thermal springs for topical application upon joints and skin to address rheumatic and dermatological conditions. Contemporary practice synthesizes mud by blending thermal water with soil sourced around the Pupavci spring, yielding a pulp used in mud baths aimed at skin disorders, circulatory ailments and select prostate afflictions.

The balneological reach of Prolom water extends beyond the spa grounds. Commercial bottling commenced in 1989, followed by a purpose-built factory inaugurated in 2005. Extracted from a depth of 220 metres and placed into PET containers without chemical or physical alteration, Prolom water serves domestic and global markets. Its principal therapeutic indications encompass chronic renal and urinary tract infections, kidney stones and post-surgical renal conditions; hyperacidity gastritis, peptic ulcers, intestinal catarrh, cholecystitis, gallstones and postoperative digestive tract care; eczema, psoriasis and varicose ulcers; peripheral vascular disorders; and extra-articular rheumatism, including fibrositis, myositis, tendinitis, periarthritis and bursitis.

The settlement itself, though modest in population, supports a range of tourism modalities: medical rehabilitation, leisure and congress gatherings. Prolom Banja recorded 98 adult inhabitants with an average age of 50.2 years—48.3 for men and 52.3 for women—across 48 households averaging 2.31 members each. The demographic composition remains predominantly Serbian.

Accommodation options centre on Hotel Radan, a three-star establishment operated by A.D. “Planinka” of Kuršumlija. The complex offers 212 guest rooms and four apartments spread over three interconnected buildings, two of which link directly to the adjoining medical and wellness centre via heated corridors. The hotel features indoor and outdoor pools, a restaurant, a café bar and a poolside lounge. Private lodging comprises a series of detached houses, general stores and eateries, most notably the Garetov Konak hotel—situated at the spa entrance with two apartments, 26 rooms and 60 beds—the Božiji Raj tavern, and the Laz and Horizont buffets. On the riverbank stands the Ethno House, a timber structure styled as an early twentieth-century rural homestead, complete with a culinary programme centred on hearth-roasted regional specialties.

Religious heritage enriches the visitor’s experience. The Lazarica log church, dedicated to St. Lazarus, perches at 640 metres above the Prolomska River, 2.5 kilometres from the spa core. Constructed in 1890 by settlers from Mount Golija upon earlier ecclesiastical foundations, it is Toplica’s sole surviving wooden church. Local lore credits the twisted growth of six plum trees in its courtyard to the ritual circuits made by Serbian soldiers prior to the 1389 Battle of Kosovo; each circumnavigation bent the young trees in the direction of the march, and successive generations have reproduced this phenomenon.

Within the spa settlement lies the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, erected with the blessing of the late Patriarch Irinej. Foundation work began in 2010, the Patriarch Irinej Bridge was completed in 2013, and Byzantine-style frescoes adorned the interior by 2014. The church commemorates the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 19 each year, when the Divine Liturgy is celebrated and consecrated wine is distributed. Its architecture embodies the tripartite tabernacle motif described in Gospel accounts: one shrine honours the three apostles—Peter, James and John—while separate chapels venerate Elijah and Moses, who appeared alongside Christ on Mount Tabor. The bell tower shelters Moses’s shrine, the church’s foundational level houses Elijah’s, and the bridge terminates at the apostles’ alcove. Murals blend Serbian and Russian medieval iconographic traditions to evoke light and joy for worshippers.

Hydrological features extend beyond the thermal springs. The Prolomska River springs to life from multiple sources on Radan Mountain and flows 23 kilometres before joining the Kosanica near Rudari. Its untainted waters support local fisheries and recreational activities, and they contribute to the Kosanica and Toplica river basins that traverse the region.

Despite its seclusion, Prolom Banja remains accessible. The spa lies eleven kilometres off the Niš–Podujevo–Priština thoroughfare and twenty-three kilometres southeast of Kuršumlija, linked by paved roads to Rudari. Direct bus services connect to Kuršumlija, Prokuplje (59 km), Niš (85 km by road, 90 km by bus), Kruševac (98 km), Aleksinac (121 km), Belgrade (290 km via Kruševac or 322 km via Niš) and Novi Sad (368 km). A railway corridor from Niš through Kuršumlija toward Kosovo Polje and Peć skirts nearby, enhancing logistical options for both domestic and international guests.

Over decades, Prolom Banja has evolved into a multifaceted centre of healing, rest and cultural engagement. Its enduring strengths lie in the synergy of geological abundance, an austere yet nurturing climate, a legacy of continuous use and scholarly endorsement, and a spectrum of services that range from evidence-based hydrotherapy to heritage-infused hospitality. In an age where authenticity often yields to commodification, Prolom Banja retains a singular quality: it remains a place where the geological and the human converge in measured harmony, offering both respite and renewal to those who journey to its quiet slopes.