Poland

Most spas offer water, mineral, herbal, and essential oil bath therapies, such as Espa, Olgo, or Thalasso treatments, along with massage, physiotherapy, steam baths and saunas, body wraps, body packs and hot compresses. Often, you can avail yourself of herbal and mineral body masks, wrap therapies, exfoliation treatments, and body hardening therapies.

Hotel Kürschner, Austria
Some of the more unusual cures I have come across are at Hotel Kürschner, in the Yail Valley, Austria. This has several rooms designed especially for people with allergies.

Against a backdrop of snow-tipped mountains, you can undertake hay treatment, wine therapy, or energy Island options, where you lie on hot sand (42 degrees) while a combination of coloured lights, music, and magnetic field energies play around you.

You might also try cinnamon compresses, and treatments using romantic rose flowers, hay or fragrant meadow herbs, spruce needles, whey, and sulphur.

Special days start from 220 euros for four days’ half board with a hay bath, and a herbal bath included in the price. Seven days half-board in a double room are 480 euros for one, with 40% off the cost of an additional person (289 euros).

http://www.hotel-kuerschner.at/englisch/index_hotel_aktiv-engl.htm

Sulphur is often found in volcanic areas, such as New Zealand, Japan, and Iceland, and sulphur thermal baths are helpful for treating chronic psoriasis and eczema.

Springs in Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic
The hundred or so springs at Mariánské Lázne have traditionally been organised around cures with cold acidulous water.

The amount of water prescribed for a drinking cure is usually about 750 ml per day. Additionally, the mineral springs are used for inhalations and mineral baths.

Oxygen therapy is very much in favour at Mariánské Lázn?, these days. One spa program uses oxygen for chronic disorders, including post-operative care, lung disorders and stressed tiredness syndrome.

Breathing oxygen improves cell nutrition, and improves the blood circulation to all organs whilst improving the exchange of gases in the lungs.

You can stay in four star hotels in Mariánské Lázn? from 32 euros a night:
http://www.marienbad.cz/php/cs/last_minute/

Polish Spas, Gdansk
The influence of Polish health spas dates back to the 13th century. Traditionally, big deposits of therapeutic mineral waters and therapeutic mud have allowed the treatment of many different disorders. Additionally, the Polish now use advanced technological equipment for treatments, such as cryo-saunas – where you effectively ‘reboot your body’.

Both the Sanatorium Uzdrowiskowe, Sopot, and Hotel Bryza Spa, on the Gdansk peninsula, offer this vitality booster. The former has a wide range of treatments but limited accommodation. So book into a luxurious near-by hotel, and visit daily, or visit the gorgeous Hotel Bryza, where the views alone from your treatment room will give you an instant boost.

In effect, the body (except the head) is frozen to below 60 degrees centigrade. After a three minute burst of this remedial treatment, you do lots of exercise to get the body moving again. ‘Krio-sauna’, as they call it in Poland, has powerful healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is said to be particularly effective for heart problems, cold sensitivity, and cancer.

http://www.lesnik.sanatoria.com.pl/lesnik.htm
http://www.bryza.pl/

The last word on spas goes to Jacqueline Clark, Research Director for Diagonal Reports. She has been researching the professional beauty market - salons, spas, and fitness clubs - for ten years, and reports a ‘marked change in consumer behaviour in almost every country’.

She says, ‘People are now convinced that a personal care regime is beneficial on a number of levels’. However, they want a complete package of personal appearance and anti-ageing treatments combined with relaxing therapies.

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