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88 DAYSPA | APRIL 2014 GLOBAL SPEAK public nudity started at the beginning of the 1900s, when the socialist and communist youth movement sought community and a close contact to nature. Says Schneider, "It was liberating to bathe together in lakes and rivers, and had little to do with sex— rather the opposite, because the experience of being undressed together as two different genders actually heightened the respect for one another." One of the rituals of public sauna use is the popu- lar Aufguss (German for "infusion"). Specifi c times are posted by the sauna door for this 10-minute ses- sion, during which a group of participants occupy the sauna as the Saunameister pours hot water onto the rocks and whips a towel around in the air, intensify- ing the heat. Saunas are a private as well as a public affair: There are approximately 1.6 million saunas in private homes in Germany, in addition to its 10,000 public ones. Ac- cording to Adrian Egger, managing director of the Spa Division of international sauna manufacturer KLAFS, nearly 38% of the German population uses a sauna weekly. "It is good for both mind and body, and helps you to recover after sport, so it is used by many pro- fessional athletes," he notes. Adds Schneider, "Sauna trains the circulation system, and most people who visit the sauna once a week and use it correctly never catch a cold." HOT SPOTS Toskanaworld properties, like many of the resorts in this region, offer multiple indoor (and some outdoor) hot springs pools; large, well-appointed sauna com- plexes; a Liquid Sound chamber (where guests sub- merge themselves in body-temperature salt water while experiencing the vibration of underwater music); relaxation areas; cafés; and spa and beauty treatment areas, as well as hotel wings. The Bad Sulza location in eastern Germany also houses a certifi ed medical spa. Toskanaworld hosts regular retreats and workshops, as well as a study group from Bastyr University in the U.S. All events are conducted in English and attract guests from outside the area. Standards for these facilities remain high: Schneider reports that German authorities visit accredited spas regularly to assess hygiene and the quality of the waters, and that German massage therapists receive two and a half years of education before they can be certifi ed. This part of the world also provides the opportunity for an unusual healing experience: literally, a health mine! Bad Kreuznach in Germany hosts one of the oldest, in operation since the early 1900s. Patients spend 30 minutes to an hour in underground tunnels that used to be part of mercury mines, inhaling safe concentrations of radon gas, which appears naturally in these dust-free chambers. The therapy is said to be very effective for rheumatic and respiratory ailments, and must be prescribed by a doctor. Bad Hofgastein in Austria also has a health mine, along with an enor- mous thermal spa, the Alpentherme, which offers water slides, geysers, a sky bar with a 360° view of the Alps, leisure and wellness areas, and extensive spa and sauna facilities—spanning almost 350,000 square feet in total. One of the better-known spa destinations in Aus- tria is the Lanserhof Clinic, outside of Innsbruck. This holistic medical spa destination boasts 40 guest rooms, dining room, relaxation areas, and exten- sive spa and medical treatment facilities—all with a breathtaking view of the Alps. Guests come from around the world and stay for weeks at a time, and the location is reputedly booked a year in advance. The company recently opened some other facilities, including one for day use. Near Switzerland's eastern border with Austria, the town of Bad Ragaz is home to the Grand Resort, an extensive health resort housing fi ve-star hotels, golf courses, a business and event center, a casino, a Medical Health Center and the Swiss Olympic Medi- cal Center, as well as the Wellbeing & Thermal Spa. "Our healing waters, discovered in the 13th century, ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM Lanserhof Clinic near Innsbruck, Austria, provides holistic-style medical spa services, and window views of the Alps. G l o b a l S p e a k 4 1 4 . i n d d 8 8 Global Speak 414.indd 88 3 / 7 / 1 4 9 : 5 0 A M 3/7/14 9:50 AM