On October 21, the fifth meeting of experts from the ESPA Thalasso Working Group took place with 19 participants. Among them was the new ESPA President, Dr. Siyka Katsarova, who joined us from Brussels, where she attended a tourism event to emphasise the role of the healthcare sector and European spas. “This Thalasso Working Group is a benchmark for health and wellness innovation. Because we...

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...

EU Commissioner Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva shares her heartfelt congratulations to the European Spas Association on its 30th Anniversary We are deeply honoured to receive this inspiring message from Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner, on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary Congress of the European Spas Association. Her words highlight the vital role of Europe’s medical spas and natural health resorts in advancing preventive healthcare, sustainable tourism, and climate-responsive wellbeing. “Reaching...

Tuesday, 21 October from 11.00 to 12.30 CET (am) Welcome to the 5th online workshop of the Thalasso Working Group! Participation at the event is free of charge. Please fill-out the Registration form to attend. PROGRAMME 11:00 - 11:10 Welcome address and introduction by Marlies Sobczak and Dr. Siyka Katsarova11:10 - 11:25 Dr. Marcus Wengel: "Minerals and Thalassotherapy"11:30 - 11:45 Ms. Claudia Wagner: "Thalasso for Today's Health...

One of the most anticipated and dazzling moments of the European Spas and Balneology Congress is undoubtedly the ESPA Innovation Award Ceremony. This year, the prestigious event took place in Haapsalu, Estonia, at the enchanting Kuursaal (Resort Hall) — a setting that perfectly reflected the elegance and excellence of the occasion. A record-breaking 27 applications were submitted across eight categories, each meticulously reviewed by a...

Dr. sc. ing. Linda Lancere is a digital rehabilitation expert, physcial therapist and researcher at the Virtual and Augmented Reality Laboratory of the Institute of Sociotechnical Systems Engineering at ViA - Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. Her topic addresses how virtual reality solutions for mental and physical health — from burnout support to rehabilitation — face specific challenges during introduction, testing, and integration. These challenges often arise...

Mrs. Margrét Grímsdóttir is the Director of Nursing for Heilsutofnun NLFI, a Rehabilitation clinic in Iceland. She has long-term experience working with patients in physical and psychiatric rehabilitation settings, in Iceland and USA. She has specialised in burnout, recovery and the role of rehabilitation in restoring function and well-being. In her presentation, “Long-Term Effects of Rehabilitation Following Burnout: What works?” she shares findings from a...