An ordinary Thursday from January can easily become a relaxing one in many ways, with an additional touch of sparkling if you decide to explore the wellness attractions from Therme Bucharest. The exotic destination, now celebrating the 6^th anniversary,  is the largest thermal center in Europe, built in greenfield concept, on an area of ​​250,000 square meters, with an indoor area of ​​37,000 square meters, hosting the largest botanical garden in Romania, with over 800,000 plants, among which over 1,500 palm trees. The geothermal water extracted from 3,100 meters deep is microbiologically pure, goes through a complex treatment process and is rich in mineral salts, copper, zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and its temperature in the 10 pools is around 33 Celsius degrees.

But all these numbers fade in the face of reality, especially if you go there in the evening, in the dark, when all the lights, sounds and colors of the indoor palm grove create an amazing spectacle for all the senses.

Started my night session of wellbeing in Alhambra Sauna, my favorite choice, of course, being dependent on ingenious decorations and architectural details, which relaxes me every time I discover them somewhere. The Moorish decor enhances the positive energy vibes felt through 5 different eucalyptus essential oils, magically mixed by our wellness host, Cosmin, starting with an infusion of Eucalyptus Globulus, covered by ice. At the arrival in the sauna, we received a saponified paste of olive oil with eucalyptus, looking like a little black soap, with which I anointed my body. The 5 different eucalyptus aromas from South Africa, India, Australia and Brazil surrounded us at temperatures between 60-80 Celsius degrees, enhanced by the ice lumps and the ritual dance performed by Cosmin in this dry sauna, a modern interpretation of a traditional African one.

The benefits of this procedure, a genuine Maur Saga?  Easier breathing, inducing a state of peace and calm, while balancing the hormonal system, offering muscle relief and strengthening the immune system.

Named “The Cinema Sauna”, the Hollywood Sauna was the next stop, after the cooling break and a cold shower, plus water and a good smoothie. Usually here you can watch latest nature documentaries, while relaxing at 60 Celsius degrees, but our session was focused to train senses, letting the infusions of spices and floral essential oils to energize the body and bring positive emotions, while watching mesmerizing images of a huge shamanic campfire. The ritual name is Shamanic Dreaming, dedicated to meditation and purification.

And since we are (still) living in pandemic times, it’s very important to be aware of the safety condition from Therme, conditions that require a green certificate at the entrance and are supplemented by other highest sanitary standards, as specified here. Also, the deep humidity inside Therme Bucharest  and existing conditions are generally unfavorable for spreading of any type of coronavirus. Because if something stressful happens, you can’t really relax, right?

Photo credits: personal archive Ruxandra Chiurtu, Therme Bucharest