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TODAY |
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Serbia |
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Copyright © 2010 SERBIA TODAY |
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SERBIA FACT SHEET: |
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Serbia and its Spa Life By: Li Novak Belgrade, Nov.26, 2009 (Serbia Today) - Spas are becoming more and more popular, and recently they are often part of modern Serbian hotels, vacationers seek a healthy way to restore themselves when taking a break from the ever increasing pace of life. The word “spa” has origin in Latin expression “sanus per auqam” which means ‘health by the water’. The traditional spa is a resort offering therapeutic baths, often from hot springs sometimes mixed with a menu of healthy foods. Modern Serbian spa’s build on the same concept by adding beauty treatments, many various types of massages, wellness therpay, hydro-massage’s baths, steam baths, other kinds of hydro-relaxation. The guests at spa seek these services as a way to bring back to the exhausted body its strength, vitality and energy, and to relax and renew mind and soul. Popular Serbian spas are settled in the lush and open Serbian countryside - away from the hustle and bustle of the cities. The desire to leave the city is something that any city dweller feels from time to time, but this tradition is also based on the Serbian tradition of going to a ‘weekend’ house – often times just a cabin in the country – for weekends and holidays. Hotel Park Ivanjica - It is settled in center of little town Ivanjica, on the bank of river Moravica. It has spa center Aqua & Sun and wellness program that includes: pool, hydro-massage bath, Finland sauna, steam bath, fitness program, sunny terrace with a view on waterfall, face and body treatments and massages, alternative relaxation techniques, and aromatherapy. Mona is a hotel and the spa center on Zlatibor Mountain. It has a pool with geysers and waterfalls accompanied by the quiet sounds of world music, an isolated hydro-massage pool, Russian “banja” for increasing the work of bloodstream and bio-sauna. The Bio-sauna is a half dry sauna with temperature of 60 degrees centigrade and 60% humidity. Hotel “Villa Lago” is settled on the bank of Lake Palic. This whole area has great tourist potential, because of its natural beauty, especially the lake. The spa center in the Palic Villa offers a hydro-massage, steam bath, massage and body treatments. The spas center also has an IR cabin (IR for infrared) – which lets you relax in dry heat without moisture. It works on the basis of direct heating radiators that produce infrared radiation. That process increases and stimulates blood circulation, relieves muscle pain, removes and relieves stress and relaxes the whole body – both psychically and mentally. Wellness & Spa Center Ovcar Banja is a part of Hotel Kablar. It offers maximal conditions for rest, relaxation, recreation and medical rehabilitation. Natural mineral water is used for health prevention and medical care. Babe – Country Club Hotel is favorite place in capital’s surrounding for many celebrities and for everyone who needs good food, wine, music and a good spa. The hotel has a ‘Relax Club’ with fitness and spa zone. The fitness part has specially designed Italian exercise machines and cardio machines. Spa zone has luxurious accomodations. There are sauna, steam bath and whirlpool for improving your mood. There are also experienced experts for different types of massage. Besides the spa centers located in hotels in area outside the capital, there are also spa centers in Belgrade. Corpore, Beauty Imagini, Jai Thai, Tonic Studio, are a few of the most prominent of these center, each with its own emphasis on services. Jai Thai, “the temple of traditional Thailand massage” offers asian massages and body treatments reinterpreted for the Eastern European spa goer. One example of these services is the “Rose anti-ageing body treatment” which rejuvenates the skin and reduces signs of tiredness, or the “Lemongrass Slimming Treatment” which includes a deep tissue massage. As a special treatment, this exclusive spa offers “Ear-Candling”. This is a pleasant cleansing therapy and a deep relaxation ritual. The process involves the use of hollow candle held on the edge of the ear, drawing out old wax, residues of past infections. The treatment reduces sinus irritation, headaches and migraine. It has positive effect on immune system and reportedly reduces insomnia. Besides the modern spas, Serbia has many – ‘banja’s’ (pronounced: ‘ban – ya’) . ‘Banja’ is specific local kind of spa; it is a very old word for the little town that has hot springs, which are considered curative. Cities have been built around curative waters, such as Soko Banja, Vrnjacka Banja, Bukovicka Banja, Banja Koviljaca, Banja Vrujci, Kursumlijska Banja, Mataruska Banja, Sijerinska Banja and many others. These kinds of towns are important part of Serbian tourist centers and they are visited by many foreigners every year. One distinction to keep in mind while navigating the different spas and ‘Difference between typical spa and a ‘banja’ is that ‘banja’ is considered to be a place to seek healing from some illnesses and recover one’s health. But, ‘banja’ is also a place for resting and enjoying in peace and natural environment.
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SPAS IN SERBIA |
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Serbia is ranking itself among the richest areas in the world for its natural healing factors, including some 350 so far known and examined springs of different curative mineral waters. Mineral waters are much diversified. Their properties and wealth depend from the geological composition of the area in which they are located. Springs in Serbia appear even in the regions that are over 500 m above sea level. That is exceptionally rare in the world. Springs can be categorized by their chemical composition and physical properties: acid, basic, neutral, cold, warm, hot, barely or highly mineralized, and enriched with various chemical substances and oligo elements. Quite often, the springs are accompanied with the appearance of medicinal gases and mud, because of interaction of waters and soil in their surroundings. Spas are located either in the valleys or on the mountain slopes, surrounded with forests, meadows and orchards. Modern accommodation facilities, hotels with conference and performing centers, parks, sport fields and swimming pools make the spas both cultural and entertaining as well as sport and recreational centers. Every Spa is surrounded with untouched nature, well-kept surroundings, parks and hiking and walking paths. The number of climatic resorts is not so big, but regarding their significance and potential, they are not lagging behind the spas. They are situated at the height from 450 to 1.500 m above sea level and have the accessible relief configuration, with much diversified vegetation and with sub-Alpine climate, which is above all healthy and salutary for human organism. They are primarily suitable for relaxation, recovery, and treatment of many diseases and especially for athlete's preparations. None of this location has any contraindications for human health, and all of the health institutions on these locations are staffed with highly trained personnel with experience in providing medical services not only for treatment but also for the recovery and relaxation of people. Beside medical centers all of the Spas have very comfortable tourist accommodation facilities, which offer rich tourist activity programs. The most popular Spas ( Banja – in Serbian) in Serbia are Vrnjačka Banja, Niška Banja, Banja Koviljača, Gamzigradska Banja, Sokobanja, Ribarska Banja, Prolom Banja, i Bukovička Banja. |
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Kanjiza Spa Belgrade, Dec.8th 2009 (Source: Serbia Today) - Kanjiza spa, one of the most established spas after 90 years of tradition as one of the pre-eminent spas of Vojvodina, lies on the right bank of the river Tisa in the North Backa. This spa offers a variety of therapeutic treatments that incorporate the local thermal spas and healing mineral mud baths. Being very close to the Hungarian border, the spa and its surrounding area both provide a perfect ambient suitable for a relaxation. The spa itself is situated on a large estate, with a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Its thermal and mineral waters are actually hypothermal, with temperatures ranging between 51°C and 72°C and contain sodium, hydro carbonates, iodine, bromine and sulfides. The spa’s health treatments also include therapy with the mineral rich, healing mud called peloid. The thermal springs have been effectively used for healing numerous rheumatic diseases and in postoperative therapy. While staying at Kanjiza spa, it is only a short distance to picnics in Subotica, Lake Palic, or a trip to Zobnatica stables for equestrian enthusiasts’. The river Tisa is surrounded by a park with walking paths, and the very river is suitable for water sports and fishing. The nearby hunting grounds offer a wide selection of game. Kanjiza’s is 40 kilometers from Subotica and 120 kilometers from Novi Sad. It can be reached via Belgrade-Novi Sad-Subotica-Horgos highway or Belgrade-Subotica railway.
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