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86 DAYSPA | APRIL 2014 GLOBAL SPEAK orientation that isn't a focal point in Austria or Germany. There's also an added emphasis on beauty services. THE FLOW OF HISTORY Although it does have a coastline of some 1,400 miles on the Baltic and North Seas, Germany is not normally associated with water or oceans, and Switzerland and Austria are completely land-locked. Still, these coun- tries are all rife with bubbling hot springs. The mining and extraction of salt from the thermal waters created a living for many people, a "salt gentry", in the early Middle Ages. Even today, the enormous "gradua- tion towers", tall wood frames fi lled with blackthorn branches that used a simple pumping method to extract the salt from the water, are a common sight throughout the region. In the 790s, the emperor Charlemagne construct- ed his palace in the Roman style in the German town of Aachen, known for its sulfur hot springs, which became the seat of the Holy Roman Empire for the next 1,000 years. The mineral-rich hot springs of the region were known far and wide for their restorative properties, and began attracting modern-day bathers in the early to mid-1800s. Some credit for this early trend must be given to Sebastian Kneipp, a Bavarian priest and hydrothera- pist known as the "water doctor." Kneipp apparently cured himself of tuberculosis through cold baths in the Danube, and subsequently used his knowledge to heal fellow theological students of their ailments. These practices led him to spend years studying the health effects of water and particular plants, and to become a pioneer of the holistic healing tradition in the late 1800s. Today, accredited Kneipp resorts feature healthy climates, natural settings, and specially qualifi ed phy- sicians, physiotherapists and nutrition- ists. At these facilities, hydrotherapy is considered one of the founding practi- tioner's "fi ve pillars of healing" (Water, Plants, Exercise, Nutrition and Balance). The town of Wiesbaden in southwest Germany opened its fi rst orthopedic re- cuperation facility in 1836. Wiesbaden is the largest spa town in the country, with 26 hot springs, and still features numerous rehabilitation centers and specialist hospitals that boast a high standard of health care and treat a wide variety of ail- ments. Probably better known is the Black Forest town of Baden-Baden, whose springs were fi rst visited by the Romans between 100 and 300 A.D. Baden-Baden was rediscovered as a spa town in the late 1700s, and during the 1800s became a gathering place for celeb- rities, who converged on the area as much for the ca- sino and luxurious hotels as for the hot springs. (The word bad appears consistently in the names of these cities; it is the German word for "bath" and an offi cial designation for spa towns, requiring government au- thorization for its use.) SAUNA CULTURE Germany, Austria and Switzerland are all known for their use of saunas, both at home and at spas and resorts. Sauna in this part of the world is a family af- fair, and quite different from what we experience in the U.S. Many of the region's hot spring resorts have expansive sauna areas, featuring numerous sauna rooms, each designated a particular temperature rang- ing from 140°F to 212°F. Sauna use in these countries is a prescribed activity; typically, you enter the sauna, rest there for eight min- utes, then exit and immediately use the cold plunge (not for the faint of heart!), take a quick cold shower or step outside into a private garden. After waiting a few minutes for the body to cool, you repeat the cycle—up to three times. With this method, the sauna is incredibly invigorating and energizing. For Americans, the co-ed nudity common in Eu- rope's public saunas can take some getting used to, but as everyone from three-year-olds to grandfathers is participating, you just grin and bare it! Accord- ing to Marion Schneider, owner of several Toskana- world Therme resorts in Germany, the practice of Top international sauna manufacturer KLAFS provides a wide variety of options for sauna-loving Europeans. PHOTO COURTESY AMANI G l o b a l S p e a k 4 1 4 . i n d d 8 6 Global Speak 414.indd 86 3 / 7 / 1 4 9 : 4 8 A M 3/7/14 9:48 AM