Hi all I know the Czech Republic is renowned for the quality of its spas, but I'm having a hard time trying to find somewhere in Brno that offers spa breaks or weekends - the kind of gift you give to an overworked girlfriend, who'd like nothing more to be massaged, pampered and spoilt to help wash away all that stress! Some of Brno's hotels seem to offer sauna or similar facilities, but does anyone know or have any experience of the kind of pampering "girl's weekend" spa break I'm referring to? Many thanks for any tips or suggestions! Greg
There is no real spa in Brno, just an indoor "bathhouse". I would recommend Lázně Luhačovice. They are a bit far (100 km from Brno), but they are really nice and this offer looks like something you are looking for.
Halef, Thank you! Lázně Luhačovice does look interesting, though I'd worry slightly about its distance from Brno. I'll make some enquiries with them to see if their programme can be tailored, since some of the treatments offered sound pretty intense. Thanks again for the recommendation. Greg
There is cultural difference between European Spa and Spa in West. Word Spa = Lazne has different meaning in Czech than in English. In Czech is means Spa town...Town specializing in using their healing waters for treatments. In US/Canada Spa is considered as luxurious/relaxing few hours spend in some salon. In CR health care actually covers week(s) stays in Spa town for many various conditions. Stay in Lazne is available to paying guests too. Cures are for anything you can imagine, including weight reduction or recuperation after cancer treatments. Treatments include bathing in healing waters, drinking them (not in that order!) and various other treatments. It is also possible to make an appointment for individual treatments at the hotel where you are staying (in Lazne). One of the treatments could be sport or relaxation massage. There are many spa towns in Czech Republic and many worth visiting not for treatment but just to see beautiful town and try some healing water. For those who have time to travel I would recommend trips to Karlovy Vary, Frantiskovy Lazne, Marianske Lazne. It could be few day trip from Prague to cover all three of them. The most popular Lazne are Karlovy Vary (Charles Baths), but others are just as lovely. They all have healing water springs in all tastes and temperatures. When you are there, the most important place is "promenade" where you can taste healing waters (free) from build in springs and if you are lucky you can promenade to live music and sip your water. Please note, that to drink healing waters it is necessary to buy special china "Spa drinking cup". You scoop healing water with one part and drink from the china "straw" coming our ot the handle. Reason for strange shape and the way to drink from it is because with this kind of cup people do not enter waters with the part they drink of and thus keeping it hygienic. You have probably seen some of those Spa cups/mugs in china shops in Prague and didn't know what they are for. Another thing which is must when you are in Lazne is to have some freshly made, warm Lazenske Oplatky which are sold on the streets. They are large, round, very fine wafers filled with sugar and hut filling. For those who are not going to make it to any Spa town, look in your grocery store (in CR) for box of Lazenske Oplatky Original to try.
Luhacovice in pictures: http://www.travel.cz/guide/235/gallery.html On the other hand, if you want to treat her to a facial, manicure, pedicure and relaxation massage, ask around. There must be a score of beauty institutes right in Brno.
Thanks all for the tips. Part of the problem is that my Czech isn't good enough to try and find out which beauty institutes are better than others. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd really appreciate hearing them. So far, other than Luhacovice spa, I've been recommended Laa an der Thaya, just across the Austrian border, and a great-looking place in Znojmo. My preference is still for somewhere that offers pampering, relaxing treatment, rather than more traditional therapeutic treatments, if that makes sense. Greg
Having spent a few days being rubbed and scrubbed at Luhacovice, staying at Jurkovicuv dum I can highly recommend it, we booked in again for September, it's cracking value for money and the hotel is newly reconstructed and very well kept. It gets my vote. Greg, if you just want something for the day in Brno, I'll try to investigate for you as we're close by. I'll be in touch. Cheers Sam
