I thought I would wrap up the final installment of my Polish adventure with some really interesting spa experiences and my favorite part of the trip...most of which occurred at the Hotel Malinowy Zdroj.

The Hotel Malinowy Zdroj (the name of which translates into "raspberry spring" is out in the beautiful countryside and low-lying mountains (foothills really) of southern Poland. The hotel sits at the top of the hill and is surrounded by a quaint village and surrounding farmland of Solec Zdroj, Poland.


     
 St. Nicolas Church had the most hypnotic chimes!               One the houses in Solec Zdroj

The claim to fame for the hotel is that it has tapped the strongest sulfur spring in Poland (which does not smell like raspberries!) They use the water in some of the treatments available in the rehabilitation center part of the spa. Alas you must gain a doctor's approval to take a sulfur bath, so I did not take one. However, I have to say that I was not greatly disappointed!

Rather than tell you about every single moment of my stay, I am going to share an overview of the services I got and the overall experience I had. The services below (all done in the rehab center) were included in my stay. Three of the more extended services I had (a facial and two body treatments) were extra and done in the "beauty center" or what most of us would think of as the spa. I am putting them in order from worst to best in my opinion. 

  
    The Ayurvedic Massage Room at the Spa                      The ceiling of the room. Cool, huh?
 
Inhalation therapy - Donning a face mask and inhaling an unknown herbal vapor for 15 minutes was not at all relaxing to me. Perhaps if I had breathing problems or the mask did not make me feel claustrophobic, I would have appreciated it more.

Light therapy - I had this done on my calf after a quick classic massage. The light is supposed to help with pain relief, etc but I honestly couldn't feel much. It was nice to lie on the table and relax though.

Crio therapy - This involved a localized spray of really cold air (-50 below or something like that) which helps with pain and inflammation. It felt good for a brief moment but really did nothing to prepare me for...



Criosauna - This is truly one of the most unusual treatments I have ever experienced. Imagine wearing nothing but a bathing suit, socks and gloves...then stepping into a circular chamber about the size of your shower. (See picture)  In a few seconds a steady stream of frigid air (-150 degrees below zero) begins pumping into the chamber while you march in place to keep from turning into an ice sculpture. You really can't imagine how cold this is! After two extremely long minutes of marching my freezing booty off, I exited the chamber and was instructed to go do cardio in the adjoining gym to warm back up which did not take long. The benefits? To improve your circulation, metabolism and fat burning abilities. It was pretty interesting, but not something I will likely do again.
 
Vibration massage - This is pretty self explanatory. A therapist uses a vibrating massage device (like Thumper) all over your body to promote relaxation. It feels good but I will never like it as much as the hands of a really skilled or empathic therapist.

Sulfur mask - This was essentially a self serve body treatment. I was given a bowl of a pleasantly aromatic sulfur body mask and told to put it all over my body before immersing myself in the adjacent warm bath for 15 minutes. The mask felt good...warming I guess...on my body and the bath was the perfect temp. When I rinsed off and finished, I headed to the...



Salt cave - This was pretty cool I have to say. Basically the room is set up with soft lighting, relaxing music, comfortable recliners...and lots of salt. Clients use the room for 45 minute sessions during which they can meditate or nap and breath in the benefits of salinic (?) air. I really enjoyed it.


 Rafal - my classic massage therapist

Classic massage - This is probably what most people in the US think of as Sports massage. It is quick and vigorous yet specific enough to get to some trigger points and problem areas. I chose to have work done on my legs and feet for the brief 15 minute session. As there is no draping in this area of the spa (see the paper on the table?), I once again took in a deep breath and got on the table in my skivvies alone. Since the massage was on my legs, I did leave my shirt on though. I have a feeling that if I stayed in Europe for a bit longer, I would eventually get over the need for "American-style" draping. Rafal, my therapist had been in practice for 6 years - "not very long" as he said - and did a great job. My tired legs felt better and he was completely professional. I would definitely go back to him even without the draping!

The other services I had - a facial, breast treatment and body wrap - were not unusual or different enough from what I have experienced elsewhere to bore you with the details of them. But I also had a chance to use the pool area which was fabulous. They have different water massage stations set up that really felt marvelous. I've got to find a way to put those in at my house! There were also saunas and jacuzzis which I forgot to try but heard were fantastic.


        A beautiful sunset on the day and my time in Poland

My overall experience at the Malinowy Zdroj was quite peaceful, restful and relaxing...just what I needed after all the travel, preparation and work related to the conference. I really enjoyed the setting and just having the opportunity to kick back for a few days. The next time I am in Poland, I will definitely try to get back there again!