Top spa destinations in Central Europe for 2025: Thermal springs, coastal escapes, and wellness retreats

Take a swim in the turquoise green waters of a 20,000-year-old thermal lake along the northern slopes of Mount Keszthely in Heviz, western Hungary.

Walk in the footsteps of Mucha, Chopin, Goethe, Nietzsche and Britain's King Edward VII, the glitterati of the famed Czech and Slovak medicinal spa circuits whose routine pilgrimages to these hotbeds helped turn them into global sensations.

Pamper yourself at a top spa and culinary haven along the Black Sea coast, where treatments targeting aching muscles, bones and joints are rooted in the resort’s deep dedication to balneotherapy, health prevention, rejuvenation and relaxation.

Explore an oasis of meticulously kept gardens, medieval treasures and natural hot springs on an island paradise in the middle of Budapest. 

Discover hidden gems nestled in the heart of one of Central Europe’s most dazzling UNESCO World Heritage Sites, or the ancient ruins scattered in Slovakia’s lush Váh River Valley.

Bask in an arboretum filled with 400-year-old trees and the stunning architectural relics of Sarvar, a tiny Hungarian town whose star status has been on the rise since healing thermal waters were unearthed hundreds of meters below ground.   

Your possibilities for a unique spa getaway are truly endless, especially with Ensana Hotels’ generous Black Friday offer, which grants you 30 percent off any of its exclusive properties throughout 2025 if you book between Nov. 21 and Dec. 4.     

Ensana, Europe’s leading operator of health spas, has properties in eight countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, one of its newest seaside locations.   

With health tourism steadily on the rise, Ensana’s hotels and resorts, situated in some of Europe’s most sought-after spa towns, are a perfect base for holiday merrymaking that carefully balances pampering, wellness and adventure.

Known for its singing fountain, historic landmarks and carbon dioxide-rich spring waters, Mariánské Lázně – a Czech UNESCO Heritage darling – has established itself as a beloved destination for those seeking therapeutic treatments and relaxation.

Across the border in Slovakia lies Piešťany – with its magnificent Neoclassicist facades, rich cultural history, and ancient hot springs – has made a name for itself over the centuries as a renowned healing center, particularly in regard to lingering rheumatic and arthritic diseases. 

Hungary, meanwhile, has several easily accessible spa hot spots. The hot springs on Budapest’s enchanting Margaret Island, unearthed more than 150 years ago deep beneath its north bank, have proven to be effective in treating various chronic medical conditions like locomotor diseases, peripheral circulatory disorders and digestive issues.   

Roughly 200 km from Budapest sits Lake Heviz, a geological wonder and the largest swimmable thermal lake in the world. Its healing powers against rheumatic and arthritic diseases have been attracting visitors since the Middle Ages.

Sarvar, also situated in the rich natural landscape of western Hungary, has an extensive network of modernized public thermal baths, cementing its status as an internationally renowned healing and wellness resort.

If you are, however, already dreaming of summer, then look no further than Sts. Constantine and Helena. Located just 10 km from Varna, this sea resort, the oldest in Bulgaria, surrounded by lush greenery, enviable beaches and seven healing thermal springs, making it a prime destination for rehabilitation and preventative healing treatments.

The hotel’s modern Spa and Medical Center offers a wide range of spa and beauty treatments, as well as professional medical treatments designed to restore and protect guests’ health. There is also an on-site dental clinic, and a laser eye clinic. Its state-of-the-art facilities combined with the expertise of its medical personnel make this one of the most popular and sought-after hotel medical spas in Budapest.

A medical spa hotel steeped in tradition, Thermal Sarvar offers a full range of wellness and spa treatments to add to your relaxation, recovery and pleasure. The hotel’s medical and wellness center, situated right next to the Sarvar Arboretum, offers guests a selection of hot spring water pools and a sauna world, equipped with a Finnish sauna, stream bath and an aromatherapy cabin. Most of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites are fitted with balconies where you can sit with a bottle of wine surrounded by the town’s lovely natural vistas. The onsite restaurant offers à la carte menus and a buffet selection, too.

Boasting a 48-year track record, Thermal Heviz holds the distinction of being the first spa hotel to open in the town. The four-star hotel has its own on-site thermal well as well as medical and leisure swimming pools and a state-of-the-art sauna facility. A five-minute walk to the lake, the hotel offers the “ultimate spa experience.” Its spa programs utilize thermal water, rich in therapeutic minerals, to combat chronic health problems, while mud dredged from the lake bed is used also for face packs and other rejuvenating treatments. 

Ensana Thermal Aqua is the first and only all-inclusive spa and wellness hotel in Heviz. The package deal includes breakfast, lunch and dinner from the buffet, afternoon tea, and drinks, making the four-star hotel the best choice for families. The hotel is equipped with an appealing wellness and pool area, offering medical and leisure swimming pools, and an entirely new sauna area. There is also a paddling pool, playroom and spacious green park for families. Kids can enjoy action-packed and colorful programs via the hotel’s Bubbles Club.

This five-star Art Nouveau hotel and its adjacent Spa House Irma are true architectural treasures of Piešťany. Covered from top to bottom in nuanced detail, the 118-room, 15-suite Thermia Palace features an impressive staircase and lovely stained glass windows as well as numerous statues of ancient deities in the well-manicured garden. There is a luxurious onsite wellness center. Spa House Irma offers guests 80 different kinds of treatments. Its Grand Restaurant displays an original Mucha artwork, originally unveiled in 1932.

Situated in a beautiful park environment, Esplanade four-star Piešťany property is connected by a corridor to the center of the Balnea Health Spa, which offers a wide range of unique healing and relaxation treatments. The hotel features an outdoor and indoor pool. The outdoor pool includes benches with massage jets, a bubble bath, and gargoyles. A special jacuzzi with a water temperature of 36 degrees Celsius is located in one part of the pool.

This three-star hotel is located on Piešťany’s Spa Island near the golf course and is directly connected to the impressive Balnea Health Spa, which offers a wide range of unique healing and relaxation treatments, as well as the Congress Center. Splendid also has an extensive cultural program, including a kids club, animations and theater performances. In the summer, the property’s sandy outdoor “beach” is a popular attraction. 

Located where the first bath house was built in 1812, the four-star Centrální Lázně is the oldest spa complex in Mariánské Lázně. Take advantage of the healing power of the hotel's mineral springs, local peat and the Maria natural gas spring. Guests will find a comprehensive offer of classic and modern spa treatments for increased health, well-being and beauty.

This historic five-star spa hotel, which attracts visitors to Mariánské Lázně from all around the world because of its premium hospitality service and the well-known quality of its professional medical treatments. A member of the Royal Spas of Europe, Nové Lázně offers a wide range of spa and relaxation programs, including effective therapies against musculoskeletal ailments using mineral water from the local springs combined with long-standing medical expertise.

The four-star Hvězda Health Spa Hotel is an outstanding example of spa architecture in the center of Mariánské Lázně’s Goethe Square. At its Aqua Wellness Centre, you will find the largest indoor pool in the town and a beautiful sauna complex. In the therapy department, you will be treated with modern medical competence and the experience of almost 200 years of healing. 

Located in Sts. Constantine and Helena, 25 meters from the beach, the hotel has four distinct areas that cater to different needs – aqua, wellness, thermal and a kids zone. Its medical spa center is staffed by professional therapists and specialists in physical and rehabilitation medicine, who will select the most suitable program according to your health issues. The resort’s mineral water, which plays a key role in Aquahouse’s spa treatments, has a beneficial influence on a number of ailments, including gastrointestinal, gall-liver, renal, urological and metabolic diseases.