In Greenland, look for hot springs you can soak into. — Photos: Pixabay
Wellness travel is hotter than ever, and the Nordics are a fantastic region in Europe in which to explore travel while also giving back to your personal well-being and recharging.
Here are some places to explore.
Denmark
Hotel Vejlefjord in the Jutland Peninsula is often called “the castle in the forest”. A spa or weekend stay includes access to the Thermal Baths & Thalasso Spa, three-course dinner, accommodation and breakfast buffet. The natural surroundings are part of the experience here, too.
The Great Northern Spa is the place for relaxation and tranquillity. Calm can do so much for your body. Explore the spa and wellness area, with specially designed treatments and a wonderful yoga studio.
Laeso Kur spa, on the island of Laeso, is built into an old church, making it quite beautiful. The local salt is used at many of Denmark’s best restaurants. The Laeso wellness experience is based on salt, with various salt baths to benefit the body and skin.
Faroe Islands
Next year, Ress Spa at Hotel Foroyar is opening an outdoor area, along with a new spa house where guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Finnish sauna, steam room, a hot pot, a cold pot, a lounge area and a cafe – all with breathtaking views of Tórshavn, the smallest capital in the world.
Finland
There’s nothing more Finnish than sauna; this practice cleanses you both physically and spiritually. Today’s saunas come in every size and form: Traditional wood-heated saunas, saunas carved in ice, tent saunas, smoke saunas, luxurious design saunas and even a sauna cart in a Helsinki Ferris wheel.
The country has more saunas per capita than any other in the world.
Wood-heated or wood-burning sauna like this one are very common in Finland, a country that has more saunas per capita than any other in the world!
Löyly is located in a former industrial area on the Helsinki waterfront. This delightful sauna offers visitors respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. The sculptural wooden building features three wood-fired saunas, a year-round outdoor swimming pool, and a welcoming restaurant serving Finnish classics like meatballs and creamy salmon soup.
Kuru Resort is a brand-new wellness resort for adults, nestled in a pine forest overlooking a serene lake. The private villas with saunas have large windows inviting the outdoors in, creating an ambience of relaxation. Every detail from scents to materials is crafted to promote the guest’s well-being.
Greenland
Hot springs in Greenland are a common natural phenomenon, but the island of Uunartoq is home to the only place where the springs are warm enough to bathe in. Surrounded by mountain peaks and drifting icebergs, guests can lie in the warm water and enjoy the magnificent natural surroundings – an experience for both body and soul.
At Hotel Disko Island, discover Greenland’s exclusive black sand beach as you take a refreshing ice-cold dip in the dark blue, iceberg-dotted Disko Bay. Follow with a relaxing visit to the warm and inviting wooden barrel sauna.
From Qeqertarsuaq, you’ll see reddish-black mountains rise majestically above the town’s colourful buildings. The surrounding backcountry is incredibly lush, with more than half of Greenland’s plant species.
Sermitsiaq, at Inuk Hostel’s wellness area, offers a wellness treat with a sauna barrel, providing a picturesque view to enjoy while basking in warmth.
A cold tub awaits outside for a refreshing winter bath. Positioned in the busy capital city, Inuk Hostel holds a spot in the calm area of Nuuk, allowing guests to take a break from the city and connect with the fjord and mountains.
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon is a popular spot for tourists and locals. — Photos: Pixabay
Iceland
Geothermal wellness in Iceland thermal pools has been relished in Icelandic society for ages. Locals of all ages frequent the hundred public pools for both health and social purposes; in order to unwind after a long day or to catch up on gossip with friends.
The Ultimate Iceland Wellness Experience is a hiker’s paradise, with a wide network of trails in lowland and highland areas. It is a fantastic way to experience Iceland’s unique nature, especially during Iceland’s long days of summer.
To elevate the hiking experience, soaking in a natural lagoon after a hike, long or short, is perhaps the ultimate Icelandic experience.
Norway
The Well Spa, Scandinavia’s largest wellness centre and spa, is just south of Oslo at Kolbotn. It has 11 pools, 15 saunas and steam baths, more than 100 showers, waterfalls, a Japanese bathhouse, a Turkish Hammam, Moroccan Rhassoul, relaxation rooms and a restaurant – you’ll have a dream-like experience here.
Sweden
Swedes take their leisure time and spa visits very seriously. Wellness Swedish-style means getting away from a hectic work and home life to a weekend retreat to live the simple life with family and friends. Or being pampered at a luxury, traditional spa in the countryside.
Wellness in Sweden also goes hand-in-hand with the right of public access here – you are allowed to roam the countryside as long as you leave it the way you found it. Many spas here offer packages that include walking and hiking.
Perhaps the world’s most unique sauna experience is Sauna by Elin, in a former underground mine. Today’s deposits are no longer the ore in the rock; the wealth is now found in the mine’s adventure experiences, where the Lady of the Mine sauna ritual is the latest of the deposits.
Your senses will travel from heat to cool, from soft to hard and from darkness to light at the same time as the endorphins flow in your body. – TravelPulse/Tribune News Service
