Spa, Health and Wellness Tourism in Croatia

The Terme Tuhelj Spa Hotel, is situated around forty kilometers northwest of Zagreb, in a valley surrounded by green hills of Zagorje and wonderful landscapes. This spa facility has had a historical reputation since the Roman era. The benefits of thermal waters and peloid mud created at the very source are of priceless importance for the human organism. They have a healing effect on rheumatic diseases, bone and joint injuries, gynecological problems and work as a successful combination in battling cellulite.

The Varaždinske Toplice spa is the oldest thermal spa in Croatia. The thousand-year tradition of using thermal sulfuric water and healing peloids from a natural source is the basis for the operation of the Special Medical Rehabilitation Hospital Varaždinske Toplice with 973 beds in four interconnected facilities.The offer includes wellness programs, health programs, retirees’ holidays, weekend programs for women and weekend programs for men. The customers of Varaždinske Toplice can also practice Nordic walking and Pilates, as well as isokinetic diagnostics and exercises on special Cybex devices used in the most renowned rehabilitation and sport centers in the world.

The Krapinske Toplice spa has a long tradition in healing by therapeutic thermal sources of water. Private clinic Magdalena, the first special hospital for cardiovascular surgery and cardiology was established in Krapinske Toplice. A complex of indoor swimming pools and wellness facilities should open by the end of 2008, as well as numerous private apartments and a small family aparthotel. The wonderful surroundings, the hills of Zagorje with traditional offerings, typical Zagorje houses, castles and preserved nature additionally contribute to this region’s offer. Hotel Aquae Vivae with its 245 beds offers comfortable accommodation. The medical programs are based on application of natural therapeutic agents (therapeutic hyper-thermal water and natural healing mud) and application of all modern procedures of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

The Istarske Toplice spa is situated near Livade, at the foot of Motovun. The modern tourist & therapy complex located around the source of St. Stephen is widely known for the quality and healing properties of water successfully helping in treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases, degenerative spine diseases, dermatological diseases, upper respiratory tract diseases, various gynecological diseases and rehabilitation in the postoperative phase of treatment. Thanks to the unique composition of thermal water enriched with thirteen different minerals and sulfur, and the therapeutic effect of healing mud, the recovery time here is up to three times shorter than usual. They use sulfuric water for treatment of the upper respiratory tract, which puts them among the first three institutions of the kind in Europe. The St. Stephen Polyclinic offers various healthcare services and physicians of different specializations: orthopedists, ear, nose & throat specialists, neurologists, dermatologists and plastic surgeons. In addition to the healthcare services, Istarske Toplice offers a wide range of wellness programs and beauty treatments.

Opatija hotels are also popular among health and wellnes visitors. The Wellness Center in Opatija offer its guests a 25-meter swimming pool with all water effects, two Jacuzzis, a fitness facility, several kinds of saunas, over 10 different massages and numerous beauty treatments all in one place. It also includes a SPA relax zone where you can enjoy a barrel hot bath, Kneipp baths, Roman or Finnish sauna, aromarium, or simply relax in the relax zone offering a view of Kvarner. The Thalasso Wellness in Opatija is special for the seawater in the pools heated to the optimal temperature – the cosmetic and other lines are also based on the benefits of seawater. The most important thing in the center’s offer is that, in addition to standards wellness programs, you can use medical programs closely related to the hospital’s specialty. In Hotel Ambasador in Opatija, Liburnia Riviera Hoteli opened Five Elements, a new wellness & spa center based on a combination of ancient Chinese fengshui philosophy and modern wellness programs.

Wellness Island Rovnij is an island of unfulfilled wishes on the islet of St. Andrew, situated only a ten minutes’ ride from Rovinj by boat includes body formation, spa, massages and hydro-massages, Finnish and Turkish saunas and other options.

Novi SPA Hotels & Resorts in Novi Vinodolski opened its new 5-star The View Hotel and one of the largest spa/wellness centers in this part of Europe

Wellness in Split : The Mira Day Spa Center was opened not far from the popular Split’s bathing resort of Bacvice, its decoration, Mediterranean spirit and concept opposing the standard city wellness/spa centers. Starting from the idea of a balance between the spiritual and physical health, Mira Day Spa combines a pleasant ambience, individual approaches by professional therapists, quality treatments and products, individual exercises, and a health food program. The Radisson Resort Split, classified as 4+ stars contain 231 rooms, 27 suites, a wellness center, three outdoor pools, a congress hall, two restaurants and a number of other facilities.

Zagreb's Asia Spa is the only luxury center intended for couples in Croatia and one of the few such centers in the world.

More info about spa, healh and welness tourism in Croatia:

Opatija celebrates 120 years as a health resort - At the beginning of March, Opatija, a prominent tourist destination in the Kvarner Bay, celebrated its 120th anniversary as a health resort. In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, extensive research that was carried out 120 years ago into the characteristics of this region’s climate led to the official proclamation of Opatija as a health resort..

Dubrovnik Sun Gardens – Radisson Blu resort and spa - since July of this year, Croatian tourism can add one more luxury tourist resort to its offering, the Radisson Blu Resort, located in Orašac, 10 km north of Dubrovnik. The hotel features 201 hotel rooms and 207 residential suites and many different facilities..

New Wellness Centre in Opatija - The Grand Hotel Adriatic in Opatija has opened a 600 square metre Phytoaroma & Wellness centre featuring 13 massage parlours and 5 bathing rooms. The wellness centre is located on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Adriatic and offers a spacious sunning area and a unique panoramic view of Kvarner Bay.. + More info at Hotels in Croatia news

Equipped health resorts based on therapeutic mineral and thermal sources are also available in Ivanic Grad (Naftalan), Topusko, Daruvar, Lipik, Bizovac, Vela Luka, Šibenik, Duga Uvala, Hvar and Makarska. The health resorts in Opatija, Crikvenica and Veli Lošinj are among the oldest and most popular ones.The first SPA Wellness Academy has opened in Lovran, providing training for employees in this segment of the tourist product.