Demo's little bathhouse (Demova kupieľka) - museum of the oldest sauna in Slovakia
At the end of the Šumiacka valley, by the clear Šumiacky brook, there is a small cottage with an interesting story behind it. It is the story of a man who lived his life under King's Hill. Through his wit, inventive skills and, last but not least, the remarkable intricacies of his life's journey, he left behind a work worthy of preservation and admiration.
Michal Demo was born in 1895 in Šumiac. During the First World War he had to enlist at the front, where he almost lost his life after being wounded by a bayonet. It is said that Michal Demo was saved by the so-called 'Old Believer' (Orthodox) blessing on the battlefield. His enemies spared his life when they noticed that Michael was blessing himself from right to left (the opposite of Western Christians). The enemy took him prisoner from the battlefield. Later, he was transferred from captivity to the city of Saratov, where he worked in Count Tolmačov's mill. Young Michal became comfortable with his new surroundings - he learned the miller's trade. However, the beautiful Russian maiden Mária Rostovská, who was brought up by Count Tolmačov, also did not escape his eye. The lives of Michal and Mária intertwined into a common story.
Due to the changes in the social situation in Russia after 1917 (at the time of the Revolution), it was better for Mária to leave for Slovakia. However, their return was not easy. As they were not married, Mária was not allowed to cross the Ukrainian border into Slovakia. Michal therefore hastened home to arrange a marriage certificate from the local parish priest so that he could bring Mária to the safe embrace of King's Hill. However, resourceful Mária managed (unknown how) to get across the border and eventually arrived to Šumiac on her own. And it was right here on Šumiac that they continued to write the story of their lives until death parted them. At the beginning of the Šumiac valley they built a house with a mill. There, Michal also built a Russian steam sauna - the so-called 'mine' - for 'Maňa', as the locals called Mária. It is said that he wanted to make her happy, so that she would not be so homesick, but the healing effects of the sauna were certainly appreciated by Michal himself. The ancient Russian tradition helped him to alleviate the pain of rheumatism, which was an unpleasant consequence of the war.
People remembered Maňa as a cheerful woman who understood the power of nature. She was well versed in medicinal herbs and prepared various teas and herbal tinctures from them. Michal, on the other hand, was a man of many crafts - he was dedicated to beekeeping, carpentry, masonry, tree grafting and housekeeping. This couple lived their happy life in the enchanting countryside with a never-fading view of King's Hill. However, they did not keep their mine to themselves - its doors were open to everyone (all you had to do was bring firewood). At that time, it was the only place in Šumiac where there was hot water. Thanks to this, the sauna was named 'kupieľka' by the local people.
It was the first bathroom in Šumiac and the people from the village used it especially on Saturdays - so that they could go to church on Sundays 'all cleaned up'. The rumours about the unique sauna soon spread beyond the village of Šumiac. The local priest Ladižinský started spreading rumours about the health and beneficial effects of the sauna in Šumiac and since then, visitors from almost all over the country came to the Demo family. They often provided accommodation for travellers in their house for several days, so that sick visitors could regain their strength during the multi-day treatments. As it was a steam sauna, birch or spruce brooms or various herbs such as Plantago were often used. These extras made the sauna even more effective.
You can find the Demo's little bathhouse at:
Adress: Studnička 837, 976 71 Šumiac
GPS Coordinates: 48.84443726141903, 20.111988926299464
If you would like to enjoy the sauna with a guide, you can purchase a ticket at:
