The European Spa Association plays a key role in unifying standards and sharing experience across countries The importance of medical spas and health resorts within European healthcare is growing, especially as chronic diseases affect up to a quarter of the population. Traditional medicine alone cannot meet the long-term needs of these patients, while health resorts offer a unique combination of physical therapy, rehabilitation, well-being, and...

Interview with Karina Kyppas, CEO in Medical Spa Narva-Joesuu, Estonia Winner of the ESPA Innovation Award 2025 in catergory Innovative Medical Spa Q: "What's the single most important practice or insight from your Anitsress Centre that could help anyone dealing with chronic stress?" If I had to choose just one thing, it would be sleep. Because everything in our wellbeing begins there. When your sleep is...

Interview with Prof. Cristophe Hausswirth, CEO and Founder of the BeScored Institute and MASAK Winner of the ESPA Innovation Award 2025 in the category Innovative Spa Research for the project Masak 1. Mental well-being assessment typically relies on self-reported questionnaires. How does your system add objective, measurable data to that picture? What specific parameters do you evaluate? Traditional well-being assessments often rely on self-reported feelings, which are valuable but inherently subjective. MASAK bridges this gap by combining...

An interview with Dr. Martin Gehlen, Rheumatologist and Chief Physician of the Fürstenhof Klinik, Staatsbad Pyrmont, Germany - Special Jury Winner of the ESPA Innovation Awards in the category Innovative Spa Research 1. “Fibromyalgia patients with severe symptoms are often told nothing works for them. Your three-week programme proves otherwise. What's the key to reaching this particularly difficult-to-treat group?” One very important task of rehabilitation is to...

Karel Kalivoda, Cluster General Manager at the Marianske Lazne on how ONKOFIT-SPA empowers women through gentle guidance, community, and sustainable lifestyle change. ONKOFIT-SPA programme is the winner of the ESPA Special Jury Innovation Award 2025 in category Innovative Health Spa Programme. “Excess body fat increases recurrence risk for breast cancer survivors. How do you talk about weight and nutrition with women who've just been through cancer...

An interview with Irmantas Karpis, Head of Sales at Gradiali Medical SPA & Wellness, Lithuania — winner of the ESPA Innovation Award for Innovative Spa Design Hotel and Special Jury Award in category Innovative Medical Spa 1. What visual experiences do guests encounter, and how do these environments support therapeutic goals? At the heart of the new Gradiali SPA is an extraordinary visual experience – a...

An Interview with Ioana Marian, Founder of SpaEdu & Wellandia, Romania — Winner of the ESPA Innovation Award for Innovative Spa Education 1. SpaEdu by Wellandia is a spa management academy launched two years ago in Romania and is growing fast. What enabled this acceleration?We founded SpaEdu after 15 years of experience with Wellandia—a professional hub built since 2010 to strengthen the Spa & Wellness...

Massimo Caputi on How De Montel – Terme Milano Became Winner of the ESPA Innovation Award in the category "Innovative Spa Destination" 1. This has been one of the largest investments in Europe’s spa and wellness sector in recent years. What was the driving vision behind this project, and what message do you hope it sends about the future of urban wellbeing in Europe? The driving...

An interview with Konstantin Novikov of VR Medical, Czech Republic, Winner of the ESPA Innovation Award in the category Innovative Spa Products Your system is the first MDR-certified VR rehabilitation in spa settings. What do patients typically do in the virtual environment, and how does it differ from traditional physiotherapy? In VR Medical, patients are immersed in carefully designed virtual scenarios that replicate meaningful movements and...

The ESPA Innovation Award winner in the category “Innovative SPA Hotel” Q1. SPA VILNIUS is the big winner in the "Innovative SPA Hotel" and "Innovative Health SPA Programme" categories of the European Spa Association's Innovation Awards for 2024. Could you briefly present the idea and the vision of SPA VILNIUS? Thank you! At SPA VILNIUS, we are guided by the belief that true wellness emerges from...

The ESPA Innovation Award winner in the category "Innovative Medical SPA" Mrs Nuša Korotaj, congratulations! Terme Sveti Martin is the big winner in the "Innovative Medical SPA" category of the European Spa Association’s Innovation Awards for 2024. What do you think was the main factor that led the jury to award the program with the highest scores in the category?  Thank you! I believe our focus...

"Druskininkai aims to be a modern and sustainable wellness and SPA hub in Europe" Q1. Druskininkai is the big winner in the "Innovative SPA Destination" category of the European Spa Association's Innovation Awards for 2024. Could you briefly present the history, the idea, and the vision of the Druskininkai for a Spa destination? The roots of Druskininkai as a resort date back to 1794 when the...