Duszniki, Polanica, Krynica, Augustow and Sopot, these are all locations where the healing power can be found in nearly every corner of Poland. Most of them specialise in alleviating specific illnesses. Naleczow is dedicated to those suffering from heart ailments, Konstancin soothes the nerves shattered by the fast pace of life, Ladek and Polczyn facilitate the treatment of female problems and Rabka focuses on treating children's ailments. There are also resourceful resorts, like sunny Busko and Kolobrzeg, whose healing powers are directly linked to their position on the Baltic coast, with the fresh sea breezes acting as a giant, natural inhaler.

Climatotherapy (change of climate), balneotherapy (bathing), thalassotherapy (sea water) are only a small sample of the range of treatments available in these health resorts. Patients can stroll along the flowered walkways in Ciechocinek to inhale the salty air that is produced by the largest "teznie" in Europe or they may prefer to take a pearl bath in the marvellous interior of the historic SPA in Ladek or maybe even be talked into sipping the fiery geothermal waters at Iwonicz or enjoy the mud wraps in Goldap.

Polish health resorts are not only beautifully located SPA centres with treatments and promenades for social gatherings but also historical locations with mementos of past visiting royalty, politicians, writers and artists. The Polish king, Jan III Sobieski, drank the mineral waters at Horyniec, while Ada Sari, an opera singer, had treatment on her throat in Szczawnica and the author, Stefan Zeromski, wrote his book the "Actions of Sin" in Naleczow. A sojourn in a SPA for health reasons or "taking the waters" as it was known, at the mineral springs, was an essential date in certain society's annual calendar. It was classified as a social event, a time of reunion and meetings.

Today, elderly people and children are not the only visitors to health resorts. The young and healthy people are also looking for a certain solace away from urban turmoil. A stay in a SPA resort or a biological regeneration centre with, pearl baths, mud baths, "fango" wraps, Scottish showers and walks in its peaceful, green surroundings have become very fashionable. The SPA resorts in Poland can also prove to be less expensive for British, French, Italian, German or Scandinavian visitors than those in their own countries.

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