Development of Spa Tourism, Sports and Recreation Planned in Knjazevac – Wellness Center, Aqua Park, Construction of Accommodation Capacities…

The amendments to the Detailed Regulation Plan of the sports and recreation and health and rehabilitation center Banjica are up for public review. As emphasized in the documentation, the space planned for the amendments to the DRP is very important for the development of the municipality of Knjazevac in the sense of development of spa tourism, sports and recreation.

The thermal water is the starting point for the development of sports and recreation tourism around the existing pool Banjica. The construction of the planned features would enable professional athletes to use the pool for the purpose of sports preparations and tournament disciplines and provide as varied an offer as possible to recreational athletes when it comes to rest and recreation.

The area covered by the plan is split into two main sections with subsections.

Thermal spring Banjica

The first section consists of health and tourism features concentrated around the thermal spring Banjica. Within this section, a rehabilitation center is planned with all the accompanying features for this kind of a facility (a part for specialist medical checks, a part for water therapy and so on), accommodation capacities, if possible connected by a heated corridor with the rehabilitation center.

Within this section, sports and recreation courts, a wellness center with all the accompanying features, hospitality facilities, green park areas, as well as specially reserved areas with various purposes (accommodation capacities, sports courts, green areas and so on), need to be planned.

This section is rounded out by a regulated river bed, a footpath, as well as newly designed streets and parking spaces.

On the left side of the coast, the possibility of construction of a hospitality facility with water or park areas is planned.

The existing hill in this part of the space can be used for footpaths and recreation lanes and for the freeclimbing sports discipline. Above the traffic route Knjazevac Podvis, on an elevated field, the construction of a motel with accommodation capacities is possible if the need for it arises.

In addition to the construction of newly designed features, the reconstruction and extension of the existing facilities needs to be done and the unit should be rounded out with newly designed facilities.

Outdoor pool Banjica

The second unit is located in the area of the existing outdoor pool Banjica. The construction of a sports center (aqua-park) is planned there, which will feature, in addition to the existing Olympic pool Banjica, outdoor pools with various attractions (a children’s pool with a attractions for children, pools for non-swimmers connected with water slides, tunnels and other similar equipment for water entertainment), an indoor pool with the necessary spaces for pool users (wardrobes, a sanitary block, showers, a recreation hall, a sauna with accompanying rooms, a Turkish bath, an aerobics hall, a room for massage, a hot tub and various features) and a part for outdoor swimming.

This section will also feature wardrobes located at the entrance to the aqua park, locker rooms for sports teams, hospitality facilities (a restaurant, a café bar, fast food, an ice cream stand, a news stand, a gift shop and so on), a sunbathing space equipped with beach mattresses and parasols, a water block with toilets and showers and similar features which will complement the functions of the sports center.

In order for the center to function as well as possible, accommodation capacities for athletes should be planned, which, if possible, will be connected by a heated corridor with sports facilities. The newly designed features will comprise a single whole together with the existing features.

On the left coast of the Svrljiski Timok River, a location should be planned for an auto-camp and the construction of sports courts. The left and the right side will be connected by a newly designed bridge, which will round out the sports and recreation center Banjica.

Along the regulated river bed, once the dam is built, conditions will be met for the forming of a sports fishing grounds between the new bridge and the existing bridge which is located in the first section.

In addition to this feature, the following accompanying features should be planned as well:

– a tourist information center;
– medical aid;
– a fire service;
– a bus stand;
– parking spaces for individual motor vehicles, the taxi service and buses.

On the right side of the access road to the sports complex, a tourist hospitality facility needs to be planned with a larger number of rooms and apartments for the accommodation of visitors and the accompanying features, as well as a smaller number of apartment villas with the same purpose.

On the left side of the local road Knjazevac-Podvis, accommodation capacities are planned as well.

In the extension of this space, towards Rgoste, the location of the energy block is planned.

The communication within the complex is planned in the form of pedestrian free areas which can be paved or covered with grass, whereas road traffic is planned as service-based, servicing the facilities and sports courts.

Next to the IB-grade state road no. 35, Nis-Zajecar, in one part of the space, there is the possibility of building facilities meant for hospitality, production crafts on a smaller scale, not polluting the environment, storage facilities, warehouses etc.

A very important part for the optimal functioning of this section is the pedestrian-cycling lane, which will connect the city with the sports and recreation center. The pedestrian-cycling lane will mostly follow the foot of the embankment of the regulated bed of the Svrljiski Timok River with slight deviations in parts where it is not possible. A smaller water gate is planned on the river, right in front of the sports and recreation complex, which will increase the area of the water mirror and thereby improve the visual aspect of the complex.

In order to make the entire complex look as well as possible, as many developed green areas need to be planned as possible, which will have an aesthetic and protective role.

Medicinal water

The medicinal water springs of Rgoska Banja have been known to people forever. They were used back in the prehistoric period and then also in the ancient world from the mid-5th century B.C. all the way to the beginning of the new era. There are written data according to which there was a spa in the Roman times as well, where medicinal water of the Banjica spring was used, and the spring was also used during the Turkish reign, as proven by the very well preserved Turkish baths from that period, which are located in close proximity to the Banjica spring.

The analysis of the thermal water of Rgoska Banja indicates numerous medicinal properties. The water has a temperature of 27.2 degrees, placing it in the group of hypothermal waters with a neutral reaction. It belongs to the group of low-mineralized oligo-mineral waters. The chemical composition of the water is characterized by calcium, magnesium and hydro-carbonate, as well as the presence of hydrogen-sulfides.

This mineral water belongs to the group of medicinal waters and can be used as a medical aid in treating locomotor system diseases (inflammatory rheumatism, degenerative joint and non-joint rheumatism, post traumatic states, states following the removal of casts after bone fractures and after surgical procedures on the bone-joint system), neurology diseases, skin diseases (psoriasis, chronical eczema and so on).

The realization of the amendments to the DRP would lead to the development of health and spa tourism and, with that, the development of the entire municipality.

Amendments to the DRP were prepared by Preduzeće za razvoj, urbanizam i izgradnju Opštine Knjaževac.

Take a look at the info-map dedicated to aqua parks HERE.

A. K.