Tatralandia. (source: TASR)
With Slovakia being a landlocked country, there is a window of opportunity especially in summer months for operators of swimming pools, water worlds and aquaparks. There are quite a few of them, as the demand for this kind of relaxation is huge.
Where should you travel if you wanted to visit the largest waterpark in Slovakia? This Largest in Business ranking compiled by The Slovak Spectator in cooperation with Index magazine provides an answer. When making the list, not only the total water area, but also the number of slides and lockers was considered. Whether pools and slides are in operation all year round or only during the summer season was also taken into account.
The overview also shows the revenues of operators for the last year. Almost everyone had record numbers.
10) AquaCity Poprad
Location: Poprad
Number of pools (including hot tubs):10 16*
Total pool area: 1,379 3,271* square metres
Number of saunas: 7
Number of slides: 5 (235 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €28
Change in price year-on-year: €0
* The company AquaCity Poprad mistakenly listed the wrong data on the area and number of pools. The corrected data will be reflected in the updated version of the rankings, which will be published in the Largest in Business yearbook in December 2024.
The tenth largest water park in Slovakia is in Poprad. Opened in 2002, it was built in the premises of a former indoor swimming pool. In addition to pools and slides, the park offers a salt and ice cave, whitewater, laser show and aquazorbing.
The operator of the park is the joint-stock company Aquacity Poprad, with its long-time director Richard Pichoňský and the financial group Pro Partners behind it. The park had a successful last year, reaching a record revenue of over €12.3 million.
AquaCity Poprad. (source: AquaCity Poprad)
9) X-Bionic aquatic sphere
Location: Šamorín
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 13
Total pool area: 2,094 square metres
Number of saunas: 6
Number of slides: 5 (330 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at the cashier: €25
Change in price year-on-year: + €2
Next year, the Šamorín-based park will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The park, which provides professional training conditions for athletes of 26 Olympic disciplines, also offers a water resort, which includes a 50-metre long swimming pool. During the summer, the Aquatic Ninja inflatable obstacle attraction is located in this pool.
The owner of the resort is the joint-stock company X-Bionic Sphere. It also achieved record numbers last year, reporting a revenue of over €17.4 million.
The park was associated with financier Mário Hoffmann, but this entry was deleted from the register of public sector partners. The final user of the benefits is thus unknown. Last year it was Hoffmann's daughter Viera and Juraj Krivjanský.
X-Bionic Aquatic Sphere. (source: X-Bionic Aquatic Sphere)
8) Aquapark Senec
Location: Senec
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 11
Total pool area: 1,639 square metres
Number of saunas: 8
Number of slides: 10 (414 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €29.90
Change in price year-on-year: €0
The water world in Senec has been operating for 20 years, offering 11 swimming pools and 10 slides with a total length of 414 metres to anyone interested. The admission has not changed this summer season.
The company Aquathermal Senec owns and operates the park. The final user of its benefits is not known. The shareholder is the Czech company Stavcom - HP, which includes people close to businessman František Hodorovský.
Aquapark Senec. (source: Aquapark Senec)
7) Podhájska thermal swimming pool
Location: Podhájska
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 18
Total pool area: 3,657 square metres
Number of saunas: 5
Number of slides: 4 (194 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €14
Change in price year-on-year: €0
The thermal swimming pool in Podhájska is among the traditional water worlds. Opened in 2003, it currently offers 18 pools with a total water area of 3,657 square metres. Attractions include artificial waves, a whitewater, and natural lake.
The operator and owner of the resort is the municipality of Podhájska, which is behind the company Termálne Kúpalisko Podhájska. The last year was successful, with revenue exceeding €7.6 million, surpassing the record year of 2019.
(source: FB Termálne kúpalisko Podhájska)
6) Patince Wellness Hotel
Location: Patince
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 13
Total pool area: 3,634 square metres
Number of saunas: 5
Number of slides: 5 (158 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €23
Change in price year-on-year: - €2
How to increase the attractiveness of a hotel? One way to go around it is building a water park within its premises, which is what happened in the village of Patince, south Slovakia. The park opened in 2006, currently offering 13 pools with a total area of 3,634 square metres and 5 slides.
The owner of the complex is Wellness Invest, backed by the financial group Pro Partners Holding, which also is a minority co-owner of the Poprad water park. Wellness Invest reported a revenue of over €3.8 million last year. According to the FinStat website, it improved by 70 percent year-on-year.
(source: Wellness Hotel Patince)
5) ThermalPark Nitrava
Location: Poľný Kesov
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 13
Total pool area: 3,868 square metres
Number of saunas: 3
Number of slides: 3 (113 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €24.50
Change in price year-on-year: + €1.50
The fifth largest water park in Slovakia is in the village of Poľný Kesov, Nitra Region. ThermalPark Nitrava offers 13 pools with a total area of 3,868 square metres. The newest addition is Hotel AquaSolis opened this year.
The park is operated by the company Slovak Tourism. According to the Register of Public Sector Partners, the final beneficiaries are Ľubica Poluchová, who represents the municipality, and Dušan Kuča.
There are lawsuits over the ownership of the premises. The company is doing well, it reported a record revenue of €3.8 million last year.
(source: ThermalPark Nitrava)
4) Tatralandia Liptovský Mikuláš
Location: Liptovský Mikuláš
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 20
Total pool area: 3,138 square metres
Number of saunas: 7
Number of slides: 24 (1,739 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €39
Change in price year-on-year: + €3
If we were to rank water parks based on attendance, Tatralandia would probably be in the top three. In our list, the park finished just short of the top three. Tatralandia lies on the outskirts of Liptovský Mikuláš, and offers 20 swimming pools with an area of over 3,138 square metres and 24 slides.
Tatralandia belongs to the portfolio of the largest player in the Slovak tourism industry, Tatry Mountain Resorts (TMR), which emerged from the financial group J&T. TMR did well in the last year, reporting a record revenue of €135.6 million.
(source: Aquapark Tatralandia)
3) Thermal Corvinus Veľký Meder
Location: Veľký Meder
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 14
Total pool area: 6,132 square metres
Number of saunas: 4
Number of slides: 6 (395 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €18
Change in price year-on-year: + €1
Already during socialism swimming aficionados flocked to the town of Veľký Meder, with the first pool opened in 1974. Since then, the area has undergone several expansions and modernisations. It currently offers 14 pools with a total area of 6,132 square metres.
The park is owned by the limited liability company Termal, whose owner is the town. The company is doing well; in 2022 it reported record revenues, and last year it was able to increase them by 42 percent to more than €8.1 million. The profit amounted to €1.7 million.
(source: Thermal Corvinus Veľký Meder)
2) Vadaš Thermal Resort Štúrovo
Location: Štúrovo
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 13
Total pool area: 9,707 square metres
Number of saunas: 4
Number of slides: 6 (357 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €15
Change in price year-on-year: €0
Just like the previous park, the one that placed second is also operated and owned by a municipality. In the case of the Vadaš Thermal Resort water park it is the town of Štúrovo and its limited liability company Vadaš. The latter had a record last year, with revenues exceeding €7.6 million for the first time.
This is also thanks to the largest water area in the overview; the resort boasts of a total area of 9,707 square metres. This season's novelty is a diving pool, while a bubble pool has been renovated.
(source: Vadaš Thermal Resort Štúrovo)
1) Vodný park Bešeňová
Location: Bešeňová
Number of pools (including hot tubs): 20
Total pool area: 5,379 square metres
Number of saunas: 10
Number of slides: 16 (1,444 metres)
Basic all day ticket to the aquapark between July and August 2024 when paying at cashier: €39
Change in price year-on-year: + €3
The Bešeňová water park has retained the first place in the list. Opened in 1993, since then it has been expanded several times. It currently offers 20 pools with a total area of 5,378 square metres and 16 slides.
For many years, the park was associated with a businessman of Georgian origin, Nodari Giorgadze. It changed hands in 2022 when it became part of TMR's portfolio.
Compared to the last year, Bešeňová increased the entrance fee. The price of a one-day ticket bought on the spot increased by €3 to €39.
The Bešeňová water park. (source: Vodný park Beseňová)
How other water parks fared:
11. Aqualand Banská Bystrica: 5 pools (4,330 m2)
12. Thermalpark Dunajská Streda: 12 pools (2,557 m2)
13. Aquapark Delňa: 5 pools (1,065 m2)
14. Holidaypark Kováčová: 8 pools (2,400 m 2)
15. AquaRelax Dolný Kubín: 8 pools (1,036 m2)
16. Vrbov thermal swimming pool: 9 pools (2,824 m2)
17. Aquaruthenia Svidník: 9 pools (2,344 m2)
18. Emil Tatárik's Štrand thermal swimming pool in Nové Zámky: 9 pools (2,579 m2)
19. AVA Thermalpark Diakovce: 5 pools (2,491 m2)
20. Margita-Ilona swimming pool and camping: 4 pools (2,528 m2)
21. Aquapark Trnava: 7 pools (1,691 m2)
22. Thermalpark Šírava: 8 pools (1,930 m2)
23. Spa & Aquapark Turčianske Teplice: 7 pools (1,260 m2)
24. Veronika thermal swimming pool in Rajec: 8 pools (2,200 m2 - only during summer)
25. Čajka swimming pool: 5 pools (2,075 m2 - only during summer)
Of the medium-sized water parks that could have placed between 10th and 20th place, two did not provide detailed data: Meander Thermal&Ski Resort in Oravice and Vincov Les thermal swimming pool.
The ranking was calculated as follows: Number of lockers intended for storing items when changing clothes (10 percent); the water area: 1 point for each square meter available during the season, 3 points if it is available year-round (55 percent); length of slides: 1 point for every meter available during the season, 3 points if the slide is open year-round (35 percent).
