"Mushroom" fountain

“Mushroom” ("Grzybek"), the only brine fountain in Ciechocinek, is the most recognisable attraction in the spa apart from the graduation tower. It is not only an ornamental piece of the spa, a place for relaxation and inhalation, but also an element of the technological process of evaporative salt production. The fountain is a superstructure of the brine spring feeding the graduation towers.

Brine from spring No. 11, drilled in the years 1909-1911, flows from the mushroom-shaped cup made by M. Lempicki’s company. The need for a new spring arose from the fact that intake No. 1, which was located opposite the building of the current head office of Uzdrowisko Ciechocinek S.A. spa, was subject to frequent failures. For many years now, only the brine from spring No. 11 has been used for the needs of the graduation towers and the saltworks.

The superstructure of the spring was designed by architect Jerzy Raczyński and constructed with reinforced concrete. The fountain was first put into operation in the summer of 1925. According to a 1925 article from the "Ciechocinek News" newspaper: "The upper platter serves as a settling tank for the sand that always accompanies the brine, and from it the brine flows (...) in cascades to the lower platter, now free of sand, from where it is pumped to the graduation towers." In the past, pumps set up in the pump station located in the Spa Park were used. The current waterworks is the sixth iteration of the “Mushroom”, as the facility requires a general overhaul every dozen or so years.

Originally, the lower platter was positioned at ground level and enclosed by a fence. The current shape dates from the 1960s. The fountain was raised, and benches were designed for patients to enjoy inhalations. Tamarisk bushes were planted all around.

A pump located inside draws water from sandstone from a depth of around 400 metres. From this intake, the brine is pumped through pipes to the graduation towers, where it is subjected to a concentration process bringing it up to almost 29% salt content. It is then transported again by pipes to the saltworks, where it is heated in pans. In this rather simple, but time-consuming way, the treasure of Ciechocinek – salt, sludge, and medicinal lye – is created. As Arkadiusz Krawiec, Ph.D. Eng., writes: "In the case of the water from spring No. 11, a gradual decrease in mineralisation is also observed, indicating a tendency for the water from this borehole to desalinate."

Specifications of the brine from spring No. 11: depth approx. 414 m, capacity 1333 m³/hour, temperature 16.3 C, concentration approx. 5.6%. It is a sodium-chloride, bromide, iodide, ferric brine.

The “Mushroom” fountain also serves a medicinal role. It is a natural inhalatorium, where resting visitors breathe in the mineral-rich air and listen to the calming sound of falling brine. It is the most popular meeting spot in the spa and a starting point for exploring the city, as many walking routes around Ciechocinek meet at the "Mushroom".