If you think that a spa experience
is an expensive indulgence, reserved for the
privileged few, then think again. Literally
translating to 'Elizabeth Baths', Alzbetiny
Lazne was established in 1906 and was named
after Elizabeth, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph
I, known as Sissi. Located in the elegant
and quaint town of Carlsbad, in the Czech
Republic, it is a spa complex that offers a
myriad of massages and treatments that range
from the traditional to more modern beauty
and wellness procedures. Even better, they
charge a fraction of the price of vastly inflated
hotel spa packages. The biggest consumer
of the hot mineral water in Carlsbad (20%
of the total quantity), Alzbetiny Lazne
continues its proud spa tradition to this
day, helping scores of visitors and locals to
detox and heal in the town's curative waters.
With Carlsbad sitting at an altitude of 1227
feet and lying in the scenic and narrow
Eger Valley, hemmed in by granite hills and
dense pine forests, the surrounding natural
beauty only adds to the holistic experience. A
session at the Salt Chamber plus a 50-minute
Aromatherapy massage will set you back
about US$50. Not bad for a self-indulgent
afternoon in Carlsbad.
If you do have the dosh to spare, then look
no further than a stay at Auberge du Soleil in
California's wine country. Staying in one of its uberexclusive 'maisons' that terrace down the hillside of
a 33-acre hillside olive grove in the Napa Valley will
set you back between US$650 - $4850 per night.
Home of one of Northern California's fine dining
establishments, its restaurant will dent your credit
card by a couple of hundred dollars per evening,
including wine. But it's the spa experience that gets
my vote. With its rustic stucco building, fountains,
private gardens and outdoor soaking pools, it provides
a physical and emotional barrier from the outside
world. With a unique menu of body and facial
treatments that embraces a nurturing and holistic
philosophy, all treatments utilize natural ingredients
that are indigenous to the region. Guests can arrive
early so as to enjoy the water ritual, which is a soak
in each of three temperate springs that overlook
the Napa Valley vineyards and the inn's olive grove.
Preparations used in the spa treatments feature houseinfused oils, as well as calendula, rosemary, lemon
balm and other herbs cultivated by the therapists in
the spa's garden. Treatments go north from US$180.
1
Alzbetiny Lazne,
Carlsbad (Czech Republic)
2
Auberge Spa,
Auberge du Soleil,
Wine Country,
(San Francisco, CA)
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