Summary:

The study deals with the well-established spa-recreational function in the small Austrian town of Baden bei Wien (Baden ner Vienna), part of the Vienna agglomeration. Its location in the Vienna Woods is especially beneficial to the city's inhabitants, who consider this spa town as a major place for rest and relaxation, especially on the weekends. The combination of medical functions with tourist functions brought to life in Baden bei Wien is a positive phenomena, since spas based exclusively on the medical-therapeutic model are not always able to survive within market economy. The spa model, based only on spa treatment, without any recreational-tourist activity, stands against EU requirements and contemporary expectations within market economy.