Druskininkai
When I say “SANATORIUM”, what images spring to your mind?
Let me show you how this works in Lithuania
If you google “sanatorium” you will likely be looking at hundreds of returns and pictures not too dissimilar to the ones below. Word sanatorium today tends to be used right next to “tuberculosis”, “haunted” or “escape from”.
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That’s because in the pre-antibiotics era in the Western world, sanatorium was indeed invented as a medical establishment to help people recover from a chronic illness using physical activity, good nutrition and clean air.
But Sanatoriums in the Eastern European counties, and Lithuania specifically, are steeped in more of a holistic “wellbeing” tradition. It combines medicine, technology, natural resources, beauty, sports, art and culture
- a multifaceted body & soul resort, which these days can be, rather inadequately, tagged as “spa”.
But Sanatoriums in the Eastern European counties, and Lithuania specifically, are steeped in more of a holistic “wellbeing” tradition. It combines medicine, technology, natural resources, beauty, sports, art and culture
- a multifaceted body & soul resort, which these days can be, rather inadequately, tagged as “spa”.
The town of Druskininkai, where we spent the last three days, has been in the wellness business well before Mr George Boddington coined the idea of a sanatorium, having been officially recognised as a health resort in 1794. But once that idea spread, the town’s history as a health centre of Lithuania, using its unique chlorides-rich water springs and muds, has began.
Today, it is a vibrant and fun place, where it is very obvious that its residents take pride in their town and its heritage. I visited Druskininkai a few times when I was a kid in the 90’s, but loved rediscovering it today and seeing how it grew and blossomed.
Today, it is a vibrant and fun place, where it is very obvious that its residents take pride in their town and its heritage. I visited Druskininkai a few times when I was a kid in the 90’s, but loved rediscovering it today and seeing how it grew and blossomed.
Are you ready to take a look inside a Lithuanian health resort? Let me show you around Sanatorija Eglė, which has been helping its visitors look and feel great since 1974.
Let’s start with the sanatorium’s surroundings. Eglė is situated on the outskirts of the town, away from its hustle and bustle, and is surrounded by the calming and fragrant pine trees. It is impossible to breathe in this warm and sweet air and not to start feeling calm, relaxed and ridiculously happy!
This green botanical theme is continued inside the facility as well:
Having spent the last 18 months in lockdowns Daniel and I were particularly excited about the idea of treatments and a small amount of time where the focus was on us, rather than the kids!
And after a short consultation with a doctor, we had a schedule of sessions and activities built for us for the next 3 days, so that all we had to do is turn up at the right place at the right time and enjoy.
And after a short consultation with a doctor, we had a schedule of sessions and activities built for us for the next 3 days, so that all we had to do is turn up at the right place at the right time and enjoy.
click to zoom
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1 Magical healing mineral water is one of the staple treatments here. You get into the habit of grabbing a glass every time you pass this cove. Eglė mineral water controls acid, regulates metabolism, suppress spasms, has anti-inflammatory effects. As you would expect, something that has this many benefits, does not taste all that nice! :)
2 Audiovisual relaxation therapy with weak electric impulses going through earlobes.
This particular treatment we were very sceptical about: room full of comfy chairs, a contraption attached to your ears, relaxing music and captivating nature scenes on the screen - really?
But at the end of the session we were so unbelievably and fundamentally relaxed, I had trouble getting Daniel to get up and leave.
This particular treatment we were very sceptical about: room full of comfy chairs, a contraption attached to your ears, relaxing music and captivating nature scenes on the screen - really?
But at the end of the session we were so unbelievably and fundamentally relaxed, I had trouble getting Daniel to get up and leave.
3 The quality of massages at Eglė is exceptional! It is not the gentle stroking you get in some beauty spa places - it is deep, active and deliberate.
“My whole body feels loose again!” was Daniel’s direct quote after his neck and back session.
I wish I had some pictures to show you this, the underwater massage, the mud wrapping and the Pearl bath treatments we had - you do feel like a newborn baby afterwards!
“My whole body feels loose again!” was Daniel’s direct quote after his neck and back session.
I wish I had some pictures to show you this, the underwater massage, the mud wrapping and the Pearl bath treatments we had - you do feel like a newborn baby afterwards!
4 A couple of quite unusual treatments: Halotherapy (salt room) and Oxygen- enriched herb cocktail. On the latter, I struggled getting the hang of breathing through my nose while also “eating” the bubbles of oxygen that were being pumped into the herbal mixture. Cue dribbling, chocking and looking otherwise inelegant! My family had no such problems with this treatment, I have to add.
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5 We would have happily spent most of our time at Eglė in the swimming pool area. Sadly, every visitor gets allocated a certain number of times they are allowed to use it. That’s understandable, I imagine that without this measure all of the occupants would likely find themselves trying to access the 9 types of saunas, whirlpools and jacuzzis at the same time - it is lush.
There are three levels of accommodation comfort ranging from Economy to Comfort, meaning that this wonderful opportunity to focus on their wellbeing is accessible to all, either privately or through family doctor’s referral. Tilly got slightly alarmed by the stark concrete architecture of the old campus built in the Soviet times, but we are pleased to say that other than adding a certain retro charm to the place, it had no bearing on the level of service or quality of the experience we received.
Our 15-year-old even said she would like to come back next year. With her old and embarrassing parents! Now that’s a recommendation scale even more useful than Booking.com stars.
Our 15-year-old even said she would like to come back next year. With her old and embarrassing parents! Now that’s a recommendation scale even more useful than Booking.com stars.
