I set up my easel on Spa Island (Kúpeľný ostrov) in Piešťany, Slovakia’s most famous spa town. The island is a garden-city between two arms of the Váh: alleys, sculptures, hot springs - and those thermal lily ponds everyone whispers about.

Why Piešťany for water lilies

The thermal lakes on Spa Island were laid out in 1934–35 and are fed with warm mineral water. That’s why you see water lilies thriving well beyond the usual season - the water stays warm, and the plants overwinter here. You’ll also spot koi and turtles sunning on the stones. (Yes, they live in the ponds too!)
The broader spa park is perfect for long walks and quiet benches under old trees (perfect places for solitude painting process).

Slow painting, soft light

My Water Lily series grows out of love for Monet and Impressionism. But where can I watch lilies in their natural habitat here in Slovakia? This place is perfect - and there are benches and cozy corners for paints and sketchbooks. It’s the kind of spot that makes you slow down: sketch, mix, look, repeat - while the koi draw lazy circles under the pads.

Useful art stops in Piešťany (make a day of it)

1. Thermia Palace - Mucha’s original wall painting (Grand Restaurant).
   Alphonse Mucha painted an oil above the doorway in 1932 - a rare, site-specific work tied to the spa’s healing story. It’s still there. (Ask the hotel about viewing.)
2. Mucha exhibitions on Spa Island (Napoleon II Hall).
   In recent seasons Piešťany hosts parts of the Mucha Trail - posters, photographs, and related material, usually from late spring to the end of October.
3. Colonnade Bridge (Kolonádový most).
   Walk from town to the island through Streamline Modern architecture with glass engravings by Martin Benka and the spa motto “Surge et ambula” (“Get up and walk”). A perfect sketch stop.
4. Café Elizabeth (cukráreň & kaviareň).
   Old-world vibe on the park edge - proper cakes and coffee or chocolate. My favorite post-painting place to warm up, do thumbnails, and jot color notes.
5. 

Practical notes for painters

• Season: lilies persist here thanks to thermal water; blooms are generous in warm months and shoulder seasons. Expect pads and structure even when typical ponds shut down.
• Wildlife: koi and turtles are photogenic; along the arms of the Váh you’ll see carp and river birds year-round. Please don’t feed and don’t introduce pets to the ponds (yes, it’s happened).
• Light: mornings for mist and soft planes; late afternoon for warm rim light on the pads.

If you love plein-air with water lilies, Piešťany is an easy yes.
Want first look at my finished studies from this session?

Check my Water lilies art collection