Druskininkai – SPA and leisure
You have never thought, that there are a SPA culture and infrastructure in Lithuania? I have good news for you. It is there, and it is very developed. You can find different level of SPA and recreation hotels and amusement infrastructure here. The most popular SPA town is Druskininkai, then comes a sea resort Palanga, and finally a nice SPA resort called Birstonas.
In this post, I will speak about Druskininkai.
The name of the town comes from the word Druska, meaning salt. The reason is hidden in the salty mineral water, rich with different minerals, found almost everywhere in the vicinity. Every hotel has its own well of a “tasty”, but healthy drinking water. When you meet a doctor for a consultation what procedures you should and shouldn’t take, he will most probably tell you that you should drink a little bit of the local water every day, and by the end of your stay… Maybe yes, maybe not, who knows…
A town of twelve thousand people, and twenty-six hotels
Druskininkai is a small SPA and leisure-oriented town locked in the southern part of Lithuania, between river Neman and a number of lakes and ponds. All that is flowered by pine tree forests. It is a real paradise for those who look for serenity, fresh air, and good service.
About two hundred years ago, nobody knew about it. But then it was discovered by Russian nobles, who had their summer houses here. Step by step the town became a health resort. More and more people could come to Druskininkai by train and river ferry. The place was enjoyed and promoted by Russian Tzar in the eighteen hundreds and by a polish President after the World War.
In the Soviet period, a lot of sanatoriums were built. We can say that many of them were quite simple, nevertheless, they housed more travelers than ever before. Finally, nowadays one can find a vast variety of hotels, SPA procedures, and amusements.
Fun things to do in Druskininkai
All year round indoor ski slope can be found only in a few places in the world. It looks like a huge hangar with a refrigerator function inside. It makes a 460 m long ski slope available for ski sports fans. There is a real four-seat ski lift inside it. In winter months there is an outside slope as well. So, visitors can enjoy one kilometer of ski slopes. When you are tired, you can have a snack at the ski bar just next to the slope. But if you plan for a more serious meal, go to the top. There you can sit in a beautiful restaurant with a view of the valley of the river Neman.
After having ski fun and being cold in the huge fridge go to the biggest Aquapark in Lithuania. It is a complex of five-star hotel Flores, restaurant and the Aqua Park. If you think that it is fun only for kids, you are absolutely wrong. There is a lot of things to do for adults as well. SPA zone has modern facilities and a beautiful design. Sauna zone will spoil you with a fair number of different saunas. And water, water everywhere.
A lot of other things to do for a younger generation in Druskininkai
There is a very well planned adventure park with rope obstacles between the pine trees and omega sliding to the other side of the river. In this park, you can spend about two hours and have a lot of fun and physical activity.
You can for river canoeing, which is a very popular leisure activity among local people as well. There are a lot of lakes and small rivers in the Lithuanian lowlands. You can choose different intense routes and spend a day in wild nature and river waters.
Another option is to rent a bike and ride around Druskininkai. There are about twenty-five kilometers of well-organized bicycle paths around there.
Best SPA Hotels in Druskininkai
I have brought my first group of agents to Druskininkai about fifteen years ago. Most of them were not so impressed with what they have seen. In a relatively short period of time, Druskininkai succeeded to “lift” its face. A lot of hotels were refurbished, new ones were built and luxury SPA centers were designed.
Flores
The only five-star hotel in Druskininkai is Flores. It is located in the same facility with Aquapark. It is a really nice property. Beautifully designed “oriental atmosphere… In the rooms, the mats woven from banana leaves or wisps of tall grass and wooden mosaic decorating the head and foot of the beds are inviting to touch them, light is playing in the delicate metal open work of the light fixtures, and natural rugs are pleasing to the feet. Marble bathrooms … washbasins of extraordinary forms made of marble of sturdy wood…” states the official webpage of Flores hotel.
All the participants of the fam trip 2019 agreed, that they would definitely stay at the hotel more than once.
Grand SPA
There is a number of four-star hotels in Druskininkai as well. Grand SPA hotel is most probably the biggest venue of such a level. It has a variety of room levels – from 3+ to 4+ stars. They call them Lietuva, Druskininkai, and Dzukyja. The last one is very good for families, it is an apartment hotel. So everyone will find the proper quality/price balance in Grand SPA.
Besides the rooms, there is a big SPA center with doctors, nurses, and massagists. It is all new and well kept, and you can feel that there is somebody who takes care of it very well. It also has its own aquapark. Which is not very big, but is good enough for those who like to have all the services under one roof.
SPA Vilnius
SPA Vilnius is a well-known leader in Druskininkai. The company has branches in Vilnius, Druskininkai, and Alytus. They all specialize in SPA and wellness treatments. I think that everyone can find a proper combination according to individual needs and preferences. The hotel can be proud to have lots of returning clients.
UPA
UPA rehabilitation and SPA center is a newly built hotel with ninety rooms. Their niche is diagnostics and rehabilitation and they have the specialists and unique equipment. Hotel is very nicely designed and the staff is friendly and professional. It specializes in movement disorders, which are diagnosed and treated using unique diagnostic methods in Lithuania: Problematic parts of the body are diagnosed, Individual programme of therapeutic exercises is made. I liked it very much because the swimming pool and sauna zone are spacious and modern.
There are much more hotels of different sizes and types in Druskininkai, but it is impossible to describe all of them in one article.
Conclusion
Druskininkai is a perfect platform to connect businesses of SPA and hospitality and consumers who look for relaxation and SPA, as well as some active tourism. We all are happy to have such a marketplace in Lithuania.
