Spas in Sweden: an adventure in wellness

The beautiful natural scenery along with the various treatments available at Riksgränsen Spa, provide the conditions for recreation in all senses of the word. Photo: Riksgränsen SPA

In the very north of the country, 300 kilometres above the Arctic Circle lies Riksgränsen, a ski resort located in Lapland, an area of Sweden which is legendary for its extremes: dark all winter, light all summer and home to the longest ski season in the country.
The best skiing Sweden has to offer in June, for instance, is found here.

Add to all of this that the area now has a full-service spa, Riksgränsen Alpine Spa, which offers traditional massage and skin care treatments, sports medicine, relaxation classes in yoga, along with elements of healing methods borrowed from the area’s indigenous inhabitants, the Sami people.

This is a spa that promises visitors a unique experience, whether they arrive at the height of winter or the middle of summer.

On the southernmost tip of the Swedish island of Gotland, in a magical landscape of endless sea views on the horizon, sandy beaches and jutting rock formations called raukar, you will find Suderhälsan.

Suderhälsan is a spa that takes responsibility not only for the well-being of its guests, but also for the fragile environment found on the island.

The magical landscape of the Baltic Sea island of Gotland attracts numerous tourists. Photo: www.sweden.imagebank.se Maria Sebastiani

 

The magical landscape of the Baltic Sea island of Gotland attracts numerous tourists. Photo: www.sweden.imagebank.se Maria Sebastiani
The food served here is produced organically and purchased locally.
The spa facilities are run on the principles of sustainability: with solar power, wind power and geothermal warming as the main sources of energy.

The setting is beautiful, peaceful and relaxing.
Many of the heated treatment pools are outdoors so that guests can enjoy their seaside surroundings even more.
Back indoors, guests can enjoy massage and skin care treatments with natural products.

For those guests with special health requirements, a registered nurse and local doctor are on call to provide a range of health care services, such as blood sugar and cholesterol tests, and inoculations.

Hagabadet, located in the heart of Haga, a cobble-stoned neighbourhood in the centre of Göteborg (Gothenburg), was started in 1876 with funds donated to the city from a local philanthropist who wanted to offer the working class residents of the area the possibility “to enjoy beautiful design, well-being and health care.”
 
Hagabadet in Gothenburg is a great place for recharging your batteries and has been for about 130 years. Photo: Christer Brosché

The original building was initially the site of public baths (complete with simple bath tubs) and a communal laundry. Sadly, the building was partially destroyed by a fire a quarter of a century later.

Hagabadet in Gothenburg is a great place for recharging your batteries and has been for about 130 years. Photo: Christer Brosché

In the renovation after the fire, the building acquired swimming pools as well as common areas for theatre and diverse community activities.

It has been a centre of activity ever since, all the while keeping its original architectural beauty.

In the 1970s, residents in the Haga neighbourhood began the process of renovating and preserving the wooden shingled houses and buildings that make the area so unique.

The renovation work naturally included Hagabadet. It was a long project that, once finished, took Hagabadet from its working-class beginnings and transformed it into the exclusive spa, conference centre and gym that it is today.

These are just a few examples of the different spas found around the country. There are many other historical spas and health resorts which are still operating today.

Some such as Loka Brunn, located 250 kilometres west of Stockholm, and Medevi Brunn, located near Lake Vättern in the south-central part of the country, have long histories related to the special curative properties found in the natural mineral water sources at the spa resorts.

Others such as Sturebadet and Centralbadet, have been favourite locations of Stockholmers looking for special treatment for over a century.

 

The hot springs at Yasuragi Hasseludden offer beauty, harmony and calm. Photo: Yasuragi Hasseludden

 
The hot springs at Yasuragi Hasseludden offer beauty, harmony and calm. Photo: Yasuragi Hasseludden
Recently, international influences have brought changes to the Swedish spa culture. The first Japanese spa, Yasuragi Hasseludden, offers visitors all of the elements of the traditional Japanese bathing ceremony, including bathing outdoors in hot springs surrounded by mighty Swedish pines.

Even four–legged friends can take advantage of some time off, with the arrival of doggy spas offering massage and relaxation, as well as variety of personal grooming options, in the Swedish capital.