Slow tour in hot SPA water: Wellness, Health and Beauty!
Wellness at the Roman SPA: Abano Terme
Why is this hot SPA water is so good for us?
We’re in Abano Terme at the President Hotel, a very famous SPA centre in the north east of Italy, Veneto region. The main swimming pool of the centre is filled with hot spa water, which fell as rain during Napoleon’s time! The usefulness of this water had been understood only by the time of Romans, so the Romans built roads, aqueducts and SPAS! But why is this water good for us? Because it contains trace elements, it’s warm, it relaxes the muscles and it lowers the blood pressure… Let’s take a slow tour into our wellness at Abano Terme!
⇒ Watch the full web serie Padua art & wellness slow tourVideo Full Text: Abano Terme
We’re at the President Hotel in Abano Terme. This swimming pool is filled with hot spa water. It’s really good for us. Let’s take a dip! Rather than swim in it, we soak in it. This water fell as rain during Napoleon’s time. Who was it during the time of the Romans that first noticed this water’s properties? It was the horses of the Roman army. After the horses had spent time in this hot water they came out strong and full of energy. The Romans understood the usefulness of this water and so they built the spas. So the Romans built roads, aqueducts and spas. SPQR… “Sono Perspicaci Questi Romani” (The astuteness of the Roman people)! This water is good for us because it contains trace elements. It’s warm, it relaxes the muscles and it lowers the blood pressure. Let’s go and take a look at the water gym. I’d fooled myself into believing there wouldn’t be much exertion. Instead, the weights float and the idea is to push them under the water. There’s always a scam somewhere when it comes to exercise! Pedalling in water rich in salt, bromine and iodine is good for you, maybe it’s tantamount to doping…
Visit Padua: helpful hints
Italian name: PadovaArrival
Padua doesn’t have an airport. The nearest airport for international flights is the Venice Airport, but there is a bus leading directly to Padua (rides every hour, 8,5€). For transcontinental flights the nearest airport is the Bologna Airport. From the airport, first you have to reach Bologna Central Station by bus (rides every 15 minutes, it takes 30 minuts, 6€). From Bologna Central Station, both Trenitalia and Italo trains reach Padua in 50 minutes (ticket 10€, more or less).
Transports
You can visit Padua on foot or by bus. Single ticket costs 1,3€ and it lasts 75 minutes, more on FBus website.What to do
Padua is a stunning art city in Veneto region, close to Venice and Verona, in North Eastern Italy. It is famous for several art masterpiece that you simply must visit: start with the Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel and Saint’s Anthony church. The University of Padua is one of the oldest and most important in Italy and in the whole Europe, here taught none other than Galileo Galilei and you can still visit its original Podium.
For a special break, look for the historic Caffè Pedrocchi and ask for their fine special caffè (a long espresso coffee with fresh mint cream and chocolate powder).
For more tips, watch the whole web serie we made about Padua and if you are fond of SPA tourism (or you just need some relaxing quality time) consider to spend some time on the Colli Euganei area, nearby. Pick one of the several SPA resort and enjoy the Roman baths and muds (try Abano Terme or Montegrotto Terme). From Padua, you can also reach easily many other interesting places, take a look to this itinerary through the amazing Palladian Villas of Veneto.
