The beginnings of spa care
In the spas’ early days up to the 16th century some of the procedures could be described as fairly drastic. Patients would spend 10 or more hours in the baths, as it was believed that when the skin split open this let out all the impurities in the body which were responsible for the disease in question. Later the spas turned more to drinking the water, but even then the procedures were extreme, with patients being forced to drink up to 9 litres of mineral water a day.
In the 18th century the foundations of the modern spa industry were laid when a balance was reached between drinking the water and bathing in it.
The spas today
At the spas today guests can undergo a number of procedures, based on the use of natural resources, various types of massage and wellness procedures, as well as procedures which originated on other continents – for instance massage from east Asia, Ayurvedic procedures and shiatsu. And the most important thing is that today’s methods are a far cry from the original concepts, meaning no one at the spa is allowed to torture guests who can enjoy their stay to the full.
