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The Lasko Health Spa is a modern centre for health tourism with a wide selection of health and wellness programs and services. The Hotel complex is situated in the midst of a quiet park beside the Savinja River, a mere 15-minutes walk from the town centre. The four-star hotel has a total of 370 beds; 70 of which are specially adopted for those whose movement is restricted. The Lasko Health Spa hotel features indoor and outdoor thermal swimming pools, whirlpools, a Kneipp pool, a Sauna Centre - one of the largest in Slovenia (500 m2), the Health and Beauty Centre (with cosmetic, pedicure and massage parlours), together with delightfully arranged areas for a variety of baths, a fitness center, diagnostic centre and physiotherapy area. The complex also offers pleasantly arranged restaurants and a cafe. Beside its undisputed fame as a health resort it also offers great facilities for meetings and events. The Healing Waters In Lasko warm water mediates on the surface of Triassic dolomite, which lies on an impermeable Early Palaeozoic sandstone and clay schist. The sources of the thermal water on the surface, under quaternary deposits respectively, are in close vicinity of a five hundred meter wide dolomite belt with impermeable sandstone to the north and a pseudo-artery schist to the south. By making wells it was discovered that the underground water appears in more horizons and that deep down a connection exists between waters on the left and right banks of the river Savinja. From the well in the vicinity of the Lasko Health Spa they pump acrato-thermal, alkaline calcium-magnesium, sodium hydrogen carbonate water with a temperature between 34,3øC to 39,4øC. The prime characteristics of the water are: potassium (K + ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ) and sodium (Na + ) cations, sulphates (SO 2- ), chlorides (Cl - ), anions, metaborite (HBO 2 ) and mestasilicic acid (H 2 SiO 3 ). The healing effects of the thermal water have been proven through years of experience and are especially therapeutic for people with slightly heightened blood pressure, with chronic inflammation of joints and for people with spine and other serious injuries as well as for handicapped people. Some of the components of the healing procedure with the thermal water are as follows: Learning to walk in water, the Kneipp pool with river gravel, massage using underwater jets, pearl baths, cooled baths and Hubbard's baths. To prove the beneficial effects of the thermal waters, the resort decided to do additional research. All of the research has proven its positive biological effects. The basic purpose of the research was to establish the biological effects of Lasko's thermal water, especially in the sense of that imprinted in the subtle field of the water or as we prefer to say the 'bio-field'. At the same time a thorough chemical analysis was carried out. Based on the methods of Dr. Masaru Emoto, a world-renowned researcher on water crystals and water memory, the Bion Institute took photographs of the water crystals in Lasko's thermal water. The first research indicated the high quality of the bio-field of Lasko's thermal water, which undoubtedly has a positive effect on the bio-field of organisms. This is of great importance during a period of convalescence as well as with regeneration and healing. The salutary ionic structure has been proved in Canada as a result of thorough chemical analysis. The positiveness of the waters' subtitle field is showed by stable and fine shaped water crystals describing a high quality, rich and simulative energy. At the same time it contributes to a balance between mind and body. Due to its richness it enables organisms to take the ordered information from water and use it where it needs it. On the other hand it enables organisms to take the information of fresh, dynamic and renovated forces and use it where new power is needed. "The Lasko Thermal Spa Resort is the first spa in Slovenia to analyse its water with the latest methods of subtle field. They know their water is the best. In this way they can offer a lot more to their guests especially in the sense of a fulfilling and healthy life and they can speak proudly about it," says Branka Lovrecic, Director of the Bion Institute, which carried out the analysis. The History The people of Lasko knew have known about the warm springs for a long time, as the snow melted there very quickly, and in simple hollows, fenced in by wicker, they also occasionally bathed. During construction work for the present health spa workers came across the remains of solid walls that they believe come from the prosperous times of the ancient town of Celeia. In 1818 a report by Dr. Riedl appeared in a Graz newspaper about the Lasko springs. Dr. Riedl, who had measured the water temperature and discovered it was 35øC, announced the setting up of a health spa. Some years later during the construction of a road the local engineer Bilof traced the springs, but did not have the finances to exploit them. It was not until the construction of the railway line that an engineer by the name Rodel began to work systematically on the springs. From September 1852, when he purchased the land, until May 1854, when he ceremoniously opened the spa, only 20 months had passed. The three springs were each given a name: the Emperor's Spring, Franz's Spring and Joseph's Spring. The spa was given the name Kaiser Franz Josef Bad. Along with a building with a pool, Rodel also reorganised the nearby mill and built a luxurious villa. In 1857 the spa was purchased by the Viennese Professor Dr. Stein, who invited the cream of Viennese society to the health spa. For this purpose he built an extension to the spa that included a dance hall and he also planted a park. (In addition he also took care of his guest social lives!). Sadly the spa hit a crisis and Dr. Stein had to sell it. The spa's reputation only recovered thanks to a later owner, Gunkel, who radically renovated it. In 1882 Gunkel built his own hydro electric power plant, the first on Slovene soil, which lit up most of the buildings and the whole park. In cooperation with the brewery he also began to brew thermal beer. During World War I the spa served as a military hospital. After the war the property was quite damaged so in 1923 it was partly renovated. Later the spa passed into the hands of the Pensions Institute and later the Central Office of the Workers Insurance Company. In October 1953 the spa was registered as a medical rehabilitation centre. It subsequent development mainly followed the needs of the health care services and to a large degree this was the result of cooperation with the orthopedic, and later neurological, traumatology and neurosurgical clinics in Ljubljana, regional hospitals, and health centres across Slovenia. Not long ago the Lasko Health Spa was known as a centre for medical rehabilitation, today it is rapidly becoming one of the most important health spas and tourist centres in Slovenia, a centre that is asserting both the quality of its facilities as well as promoting a healthy way of life. It is particularly intended for people who have some movement difficulties and for those who want to avoid developing these. The Future The Lasko Thermal Spa Resort aims to complement its existing facilities with contemporary wellness and thermal programmes as well as with conference tourism. This year they start the construction of a new thermal centre with a wellness hotel and conference centre. The Thermal centre will be under a glass dome, which will open during nice weather, will have a wave pool, a children's pool, a pool with various water attractions, and be connected to an all-season outdoor pool. Above the indoor swimming pools, on pillars just beneath the dome, three smaller swimming pools with salty water are planned. Outside, the swimming complex will have a 25 metre long outdoor recreational pool with water slides and other attractions. This swimming pool will be designed for recreation and other water sports (for example water polo). At the confluence of the Savinja and Recica rivers there will be an attractive pool in the shape of a water crystal that will offer guests an opportunity to enjoy a natural setting. The pools will comprise a total of 2,200 m2 and will use healing thermal waters with a temperature between 30º C to 34º C. The centre will also feature a sauna centre with eight different saunas covering 700 m2 (also with thermal pools), a terrace, and a wellness centre occupying 900 m2 where all the most popular services for the body, and soul, will be available. This project will be realised in several phases. The continuation of this project will see the construction of the wellness hotel, the congress centre and an apartment complex. The completion date is projected for 2010.