Documentary Photographer Tomislav Marcijuš is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘CITY OF WELLNESS’. To see Tomislav’s body of work, click on any image.

A series of photographs show Budapest, a city which, 1000 meters below the ground, hides hot springs. They were discovered by the Romans 100 years BC and they founded a spa culture. Since the thermal water of the invention did not disappear, in 1935 Budapest was proclaimed the city of Wellness. The photos were taken in the last year and show well-known places such as Szecheny Thermal Bath, Gellert Spa, and Kiraly Thermal Bath. As one of the main centers of Eastern Europe, Budapest has some of the largest spas in the world.

Throughout the years, wellness has become a synonym for places offering a wide range of services for relaxation. It is associated with saunas, warm pools, and white bathrobes, but Wellness still has its second, more important meaning. Wellness represents creativity, development of human resources, the achievement of happiness and inner peace. It is a process throughout which people become responsible and they are ready to make decisions and carry out activities aimed at successful existence.

By introducing changes to my own life, to eliminate the stress that caused lower health disruptions, the Wellnesses were one of the spots on the path to a better and healthier life. I tried to explore it as an individual and photographer the maximum potential within the environment where I reside, which, according to the Halbert Dunn, is the very definition of the word “Wellness”. I acted as a photographer and as a person who needs a change. I decided to document my visits to wellness to convey the atmosphere of the places where I began the process of a new way of life.

All photos were captured on a 35mm Olympus Mju II film. The film gives me a special atmosphere. This camera is really small and it fits in my pocket so I can be unnoticeable when photographing since photographing is not permitted everywhere. Also, some places are so steamy so they can’t be captured.

Every trip to wellness was like going into myself, as I was re-examining myself and looking for what I needed to work on. There are rooms that seem to be trapped in the spirit of the past and no one cares about them. Much like you came to the part within yourself, to work on and which is neglected. These places marked one period of my life where I didn’t know if I was doing my job properly and do I care enough about myself. The more I went to Budapest, the more fresh and clear I felt. As this is not a small financial endeavor, and wellness is not the only thing I needed in my life, I had to keep these spa forever!