Destination Prague

The excitement of visiting Prague quickly became reality.
Leaving the city centre hotel on foot one cold morning, to explore the area and all it’s culture, cobble street after cobble street entwined each other, showcasing Pragues best museums, churches, cathedrals, castles, restaurants, bars, stunning buildings and nightlife. 

After a full day of sightseeing on foot and amazing food to savour we were tired.
Our fitbit apps had recorded over 18,000 steps by night fall, so time to sleep and look forward to day two.

Next morning an uphill walk to the castle and without taking time to think, we had booked tickets to the top of the cathedral Bell tower at the castle. A spiral staircase of 287 steps took us to the top to the tower for a breathtaking and scary view over Prague. 

Back down and a walk to the old city. Over lunch in the old city we decided enough was enough , our legs and feet were tired and sore.
I’m a believer that we give our bodies too much punishment and not enough nurturing. Our bodies need time to recover and enjoy other aspects of life.

So over the years we have enjoyed European spas and bathing rituals (mostly naturist), so now was time for another one, to relax our minds and let our bodies experience something soothing and different.
A few minutes later, research done and we were on our way to Aquapalace Prague.

Arriving around 2pm we walked into waterworld with just the clothes we were wearing, hired our towels and our passes, headed into the changing rooms, not really knowing what we were going to encounter on the other side. Towels wrapped around, the magnetic wrist straps gave us entry through the turnstiles and into the sauna area. 

Quickly we saw a group of people standing outside, outside a log cabin, with towels in hand ready to enter the cabin , we quickly joined the queue as a sauna ritual was about to take place. This group of people seemed to be made up of mostly families and friends , I’d say from 70’s back down to early teens. 

Towels were now placed on the wooden benches and our naked bodies sat upon them. My curiosity counted roughly 63 people waiting for the ritual to begin. The sauna master came in, and he gave an account of what was going to happen for the next ten minutes and repeated in English for our benefit. (thanks) The lights got dimmer and relaxing music began. 

Scooping water onto the sauna coals, the sauna master then swirled a towel in the air to make the hot air swirl around our bodies. Then two big ice balls were displayed and one set on the coals, more water being added too. Again the sauna master swirled and flapped the towel around the room, this time as the hotter air surrounded us, the fragrance of fresh cedar wood became appealing.

Deep long breaths were now needed to calm ourselves as the heat intensified. The second ice ball was placed on the coals and more water was applied. The next wave of heat surrounded our bodies and the sweating had truly started, this time a mint fragrance ensued, as the towel swirling sauna master picked up his momentum and brought the hot air down around us.
As the ritual finished everybody applauded the sauna master for his performance and themselves for their endurance. We all exited, took showers and went on to hot pools, cool pools or relaxation rooms.

This place turned out to be the most entertaining spa I’d ever been to. 14 saunas and steam rooms, hot-tubs, relaxation rooms, bar, restaurant, spa treatments and an indoor water park.

The sauna rituals took place every hour , sometimes with two sauna masters , from soothing music to headbanging rock n roll, towel swirling displays, like making pizza bases.
Fragrances like rose petals, citrus, orange, lemon, menthol, cinnamon, eucalyptus to name a few. Saunas with tea, beer wine included. 

So after a few hours of rituals and relaxation the body felt tired but relaxed, the skin felt clean and fresh, and most importantly for me the troubles and strife of life had slowly disappeared as the evening went on.
By 10 o’clock it was time to head back to the hotel feeling clean, relaxed and ready for a deep sleep, knowing our bodies had experienced a good detox.