A walk around Trenčianske Teplice can take visitors back in time, specifically to the interwar period. It was during the first Czechoslovak Republic that the spa town experienced a building boom. Villas, spas, a swimming pool and a church that share the same architectural style - functionalism - were built here. Objects that have been abandoned also attract attention.

Geometric shapes, truthfulness, hygiene or rejection of the history and artistic side of architecture. It is on these principles that functionalism is based. You can find buildings from the era of the First Republic in several Slovak cities, but Trenčianske Teplice can boast of their high concentration. One of the most famous representatives of this style is the legendary swimming pool Zelená žaba, which, after years of decay, is now fully operational again. It is different in the case of the Machnáč spa house, which is still just waiting for renovation. According to Andrea Kalinová from the art group Abandon (re) creation, which deals with functionalist buildings, he deserves the most attention. "We consider it to be the most valuable not only in Trenčianske Teplice, but at least in the former Czechoslovakia," she said.

Trenčianske Teplice, as well as many other spas are a paradise not only for people looking for relaxation. They also address urbexers, ie modern explorers of abandoned buildings. They also agree that the dominant feature in their eyes is Machnáč. "I have visited the place several times - during the day, at night, in summer and in winter. If I had to name the reasons why I like to come back here, it would be the beauty of a glass café, corridors with rooms with a characteristic colonnade or a really rare wide-angle view from the roof of the panorama of the spa town. This will be true for a few, "explained one member of the UrbeX DCA group, who did not want to be named.

photo: ciernediery.sk