The Bata Region

Spa Luhacovice

The famous spa town of Luhačovice is located just a few kilometres far from Zlín. Tomas Bata used to come to the spa with his family. He would send his employees here for a well-deserved rest. He even introduced some of the Bata Company inventions here. 

Tomas Bata knew that a spa was not only a place for recreation and healing but also a profitable investment. In 1939, the Company bought the Slovak castle Bojnice with a spa. But the Batamen often visited a much closer spa in Luhačovice which is still one of the most picturesque and modern spas in the country.

The family and colleagues of Tomas Bata had been coming here since 1920 but it worked the other way around as well. In the early 1930s, spa guests came to admire Zlín with its American skyscraper, modern shops, schools and housing. Neoclassicism and purism were popular in architecture at the time. Luhačovice shone with the colourful ornaments of Dušan Jurkovič's Folk Art Nouveau, whereas the strictly constructivist and functionalist Zlín seemed like a bolt from the blue.

Tomas Bata used to invite important guests to Luhačovice, such as the Minister of Finance – Karel Engliš. In 1932, he held a conference here presenting new car tyres produced in his factories.

Even today, you can walk around Luhačovice and see the favourite places of the Bata family. We recommend a walk through the White Quarter with its beautiful functionalist buildings by Bohuslav Fuchs.