A spa holiday
Thermalism is "the whole range of activities linked to the exploitation and use of thermal waters for recreational or health purposes".
Wherever you go in the Baltic States, you can enjoy top-quality thermal waters and mud for your skin and body. The region's spa facilities are modern and staffed by competent, friendly and welcoming people. Above all, compared with the rest of Europe, the centers offer a great deal of freedom in their programs. Although you are advised to consult the attending physician, you can plan your treatment program for the following day. What's more, all these facilities are located in areas that are ideal for long walks or bike rides. Allow a week, including five to six days of care at a single site. The Baltic States offer an excellent opportunity for wellness and discovery... what more could you ask for?
The town of Druskininkai in Lithuania deserves a special mention, as it is rich in cultural interest and natural attractions, as well as offering friendly, inexpensive restaurants and hotels. It's also the country's largest spa town. It was in the 18th century that the town discovered its curative mineral springs, rich in salt(druska means salt).
Like its Estonian and Lithuanian neighbors, Latvia has seen a flourishing number of spa establishments. Stay in Jūrmala: this seaside resort boasts a sandy beach stretching for several kilometers. Beach in the morning and treatments in the afternoon... or treatments in the morning and discovering Rīga, which is only twenty kilometers away, in the afternoon. The Ķemeri National Park is also a well-known spa thanks to the hydrogen sulfide it contains. Gradually abandoned in the early 20th century, Ķemeri has seen its sanatorium and treatment rooms rehabilitated by foreign investors.
The town of Pärnu is Estonia's spa capital, home to temples of luxury and more modest establishments. The islands of Saaremaa and Muhu offer beneficial isolation for those suffering from stress, and finally Haapsalu lets you enjoy the therapeutic virtues of its mud.
The "pirts", a campaign sauna
The pirts (country sauna in Latvia) is, as in all Nordic cultures, a fundamental element of daily life. Traditionally, the sauna was used as a bathroom in the countryside and in summer houses without running water. But over the centuries, it has become a privileged moment of reunion, sharing and well-being. Women usually lead the way. Saunas are not just for men and women - they're all dressed up like Adam and Eve! Everyone, from the youngest to the great-grandmother, takes a seat in this small, dark wooden room, where a stove topped with stones has been heating for hours. A few spoonfuls of water (scented with essential oils) on the burning stones and a fragrant humidity fills the place. So we let ourselves go to this healthy heat that deeply relaxes, warms to the bones (in winter!) and helps eliminate all toxins and dead skin from the body. The women then give way to the men, who quench their thirst in the small lounge adjoining the sauna. Temperatures range from 70°C to 120°C (for the boldest!). Above 115°C, a felt cap is worn to protect the head from the heat. Many rituals punctuate an evening or morning in the sauna. When you're sweating like you should, it's time to cool off with a dip in the garden pool, a nearby lake or even the sea. When winter arrives, it's the snow that serves as a playground, tempering the heat!
Every spring, we gather birch branches and leave them to dry for a year. They are then immersed in boiling water, and as they soften and heat up, we whip them over our backs, legs and arms. Every family gathering, every celebration, every traditional holiday always begins or ends at the pirts. It's a place that strengthens relationships, encourages confidences and allows family members, relatives and friends to get together without pretence or artifice. The pirts is also always on the agenda during important negotiations with a customer or colleague.
For a better understanding of sauna culture, we recommend the multi-award-winning Estonian documentary The Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (2023), which follows a group of women who find support and comfort in a suitsusaun.
Two unusual experiences
All three locations are dedicated to preserving the sacred and traditional character of the sauna. In the heart of nature, you can take a moment for yourself and enjoy an extraordinary experience.
In Latvia, a few kilometers from Rīga, head for the Lielzemenes center. Here, the sauna is sacred, and the owners do their utmost to preserve the traditions of the place. On site, the experience is a veritable ceremony: you brush yourself with a combination of plants while listening to Latvian folk songs.
In Lithuania, a hundred kilometers from Vilnius, head for the Aukstaitija National Park, and more specifically Paluse. Here, Nijole Nagurnaite offers a spa for hire. Nijole brushes her customers with a collection of branches known as vantos. The plants are picked around June 21, the summer solstice, to, according to tradition, multiply their benefits tenfold. This is followed by a massage with essential oils, chanting and a bath in cold water. As in Lielzemenes, this is a real ceremony, and you take your time. Allow around three hours.
In Estonia, the Võromaa region in the south of the country has seen its smoke sauna practices and rituals listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. This sauna differs from others in that there is no chimney to evacuate the smoke. It remains inside the sauna and escapes through the door or windows.