THERAPY Hotel Nové Lázně in the
Czech Republic treats kidney disorders using its calcium- magnesium rich waters
PART 3 MINERAL MATTERS
Sophie Benge closes her series on the healing power of natural resources in central and eastern Europe with a focus on mineral water and mud
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n this series, we’ve looked at some key components of the central and eastern European spa experience that make it a strong contender in the growing market for wellness
tourism: namely its rich seam of natural resources which have been used for centuries to relieve physical pain and stimulate emotional wellbeing. These natural elements were rigorously studied by chemists and doctors in the 19th century before treatment protocols were developed for a variety of health disorders. That many of these therapies remain unchanged after 200 years is testimony to the authenticity and expertise that infuses the health culture in this region. This fi nal article examines mineral
water – the most abundant healing source – and mud, which is probably the most
potent. It can be argued that both form the basis of the historical reputation for wellness that has brought royalty and the intelligentsia to spa towns from the Baltic to the Black seas for two centuries. England’s King Edward VII visited
Marienbad (now Mariánské Lázně) in the Czech Republic nine times to treat his gout, while in nearby Karlsbad (now Karlovy Vary), the list of visitors in search of redress for their overindulgent lifestyles includes Brahms, Beethoven, Bismarck and Bach... and that’s just those listed under B!
Water world Mineral waters sourced from underground have a high mineral composition and specifi c chemical properties, as well as diff ering physical properties such as temperature and trace elements. Together
these features can help with a full spectrum of body processes from circulation and digestion to immune function and even fertility. That’s quite some panacea. To understand the potency of the
mineral water in central and eastern Europe it helps to make a comparison with a brand such as Evian. A 750ml bottle states that this water contains 26mg of magnesium per litre. In contrast most waters in Romanian Transylvania contain more than 3,000mg of magnesium per litre. There are 6.5mg of sodium in Evian and 100 times this amount in Zuber, the strong- est of four brands of bottled water from the Polish spa town of Krynica-Zdrój, which is particularly good for liver complaints. There is barely a mineral water source
in the region which local people don’t claim has the most potent water in all of
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©PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN BANFIELD AND HELEN ABRAHAM
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