Varaždinske toplice, uporište razvoja zdravstvenog turizma Varaždinske županije
Varaždinske toplice, the base for development of health tourism in the Varaždin county

Summary/Abstract: In the strategic documents for the development of tourism in Varaždin County the themes of rest and recuperation and the use of the sulfur thermal mineral water were positioned since 1997. The sensitive topic of health tourism has been formulated by the Committee for Health Tourism of the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences since 1994. In order to understand the term of health tourism, attention is drawn to the following components of the general phenomenology of tourism, such as tourist destination, tourism resources, tourist attractions (potential and real), basic classification of tourist motives/activities, and finally, the misunderstanding of the words tourists, daily visitors, and tourism. Health tourism is a subsystem of the general tourism system that highlights its special features with regard to maintaining and improving health: the type and distribution of natural remedies in the area, the development of natural health resorts and sanatoriums, and the concept of the health tourism destination. Varaždinske Toplice are a concrete example of the high quality spring of natural remedies (sulfur thermal mineral water). Its thermal springs has become the backbone of the two-thousand-year-long development of this prominent health resort, from the Roman Times to modern complex of the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation. The possibilities for further development of health tourism in the Varaždin County were also investigated, especially through the available resources by identifying all natural remedies. Key natural remedies include thermal mineral water, which is sulfuric in Varaždinske Toplice and salty in Lunjkovec in the far east of the county. The sulfur thermal mineral water of Varaždinske Toplice has been used for a very long time, and has the potential to support the development of health tourism throughout the county. However, for the practical application of the Lunjkovec thermal mineral water, several obstacles from other sectors need to be solved, particularly energy. The third natural remedy is the peak area of Mt. Ivanščica, which has special geological features, as well as a mountain climate. Only Varaždinske Toplice have ensured full accessibility of its natural remedies (sulfur thermal mineral water and peloid) to tourists. The other two springs of natural remedies, the area of Mt. Ivanščica peak (mountain climate) and Lunjkovec near Ludbreg (salty thermal mineral water), are still inaccessible to health and tourism.

• Details
• Contents