The Wellness culture in Denmark is still young. Denmark was for the Romans too cold, so the spa tradition originates mainly from Sweden and Finland with its many saunas and Lakes. And so has almost every Dane a second home by the sea with sauna, hot tub and wood stove of Danish design. Dansommer has one day job to let it all get to… Ten years ago, wellness’ gaining momentum and now we find from Kolding to Copenhagen a wide range of resorts with a market-oriented offer of treatments. The Spa & wellness marketing is bundled and we know that success does not come by itself …
Cocooning
On an average of five hours ' drive from the Dutch border is the lovely Denmark with its huge coastline, many islands and wonderful quiet roads. For a week cocooning we rent one of the many beautiful wooden cottages by the sea. The luxury, the comfort and tranquility for us for years, one source of Wellness. Yellow canola fields, Blue Sky, rural villages and silence. Very much silence… A typical wooden house of Danish design is literally like a warm coat. But this year, the enjoyment of the private sauna, the hot tub and heated floor combined with trips to serious Spa & Wellness resorts with indulgent treatments!
Kolding: pools at the nobility
Anno 2008 appeared at the castle of Kolding in South Jutland the latest loot to the Danish wellness tree: Dronning Dorothea's Badestue (Queen Dorothea's Bathhouse). We went there and heard about the rich history. Edvard Køhrsen (spa manger and leader of the umbrella Danish spa-marketing organization) explains: “Already in the early Middle Ages was here a Badestue (either a seaside resort) for the nobility. But because in the Badestue much more happened than baths (and in the end especially sex-events took place) they were very closed around 1500 in Denmark. Still, this is already a very old seaside resort, and in that history, we want to free-riding”. In this historic setting feels like you go back in time. The entrance of the spa is hidden behind the entrance of a modern water park, but after the descent via stone steps to the actual entrance, are you this soon forget. Many Danish Wellness resorts try to hook into the local history. In Dronning Dorothea's Badestue does this mean: old armor and weapons, Castle-like Interior, heavy oak doors.
Our arrival was known and there is treatment prepared: the Icelandic Blue Lagoon Treatment with mineral salts and white silica. The treatment begins with a warm bath dead sea water. Delicious weightless floating in the salt water to the skin to prepare quietly. Then the Blue Lagoon Pebble-gasket. The white silica is super healthy for the skin (m. n. in Psoriasis and eczema) but it makes the skin very dry. Fortunately, there is for that, then after the shower and a special lotion. The white gasket should be 30 minutes do its job, lying on a pleasant heated waterbed with hydro-massage. The champagne that we then get offered makes it all off.
In addition to the Special Blue Lagoon clearly there are other massages treatment, scrubs, facials, a ' experience shower ', etc. Particularly enjoyable was also the head-shoulder massage with a fragrant essential oil. Nevertheless, the Danish wellness centres especially ' water’ at the Centre. Many pools, steaming and paddling. The open-plan layout is reminiscent of a German sauna-landscape. Not surprising perhaps, When you consider that Germany most of the Danish tourists delivers. At the end of the treatments (or in between) we take place in the rest room with its wonderfully heated, anatomically shaped wooden sun loungers (characteristic of the Danish spas). Fresh fruit, chilled water and fruit juice is ready. And who wants to can in between free of the tropical water park use.
Hot and cold at the Vejle fjord
What further north, at the Vejle fjord, is Comwell Kellers Park, the first 5 star Conference and spa hotel in Denmark. The beautiful white complex, dating back to 1900, is idyllic hidden in the Green. The hotel is mainly used as a Conference Center, but feel free to make an appointment: the wellness area is just use it as Day-spa.
Comwell Kellers Park spa is peacefully. We look just like in many places in Denmark several treatment rooms for couples. Also at this point the current trend followed. Prominently in the Comwell Kellers Park spa is the use of hot-cold contrasts. Also the signature-treatment is based on this. This is actually a custom hot-stone treatment. Spa manager Gita Graus Lund gets at this point the free hand to itself to introduce or modify treatments.
The signature-treatment consists of a hot stone treatment with warm basalt stones, interspersed with ice cold White pebbles. Very relaxing! At the end of the treatment is your singing bowl by a gong on a reactivated. Also the baths are both hot as ' cold’ available, with as a starting point the famous German Kneipp Tretbecken. The hot-cold contrast is well suited for relaxation and is a good stimulant of the blood flow through the body.
The pinnacle of health is the special drink that is served in the relaxation room free. It comes from Sweden, hot Spirulina, and consists of dried microalgae in orange juice. It is also available separately in powder form and is in the spa boutique sold better than all cosmetics products. Spirulina is rich in vitamin A, E, and the B complex, the minerals phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, manganese and selenium, and much, much more.
Completely refreshed cocooning we further our delicious wood stay by the sea. Wellness in Denmark is also: simply do nothing and enjoy.
Text: Arjan Mulder
- More info and pictures: Commwell Kellers Park, Dronning Dorothea's Badestue
- Info Denmark: Visit Denmark
- A week cocooning: Dansommer
- View the locations on the map
