Should you would have requested me 5 years in the past if I ever envisioned myself willingly soaking in a bath stuffed with beer, I might have mentioned HELL NO.
I do not actually like alcohol, and am not a lot of a drinker generally. However I’ve the largest aversion to beer. Past the slight carbonation in beer, I sort of hate every thing about it. I do not just like the style, and I particularly do not just like the odor; I am exceedingly glad my husband prefers whisky, as a result of beer breath? BLECH.
So think about my shock, then, that I am penning this publish telling you all about a beer spa expertise in Prague that I LOVED.
What’s a beer spa?
Initially, what the heck is a beer spa? Effectively, a beer spa is just like some other sort of spa that folks go to for leisure and coverings – besides {that a} beer spa contains beer! A number of beer.
Most beer spas world wide have the same set-up: you reserve a time to go to, and get to get pleasure from a personal remedy room that features a bathtub or small sizzling tub that’s partially full of beer and beer elements together with sizzling water.
Soaking in this stuff – like hops and barley and brewers yeast – is meant to be nice to your pores and skin (and even perhaps your general well being).
And naturally each beer spa comes an infinite quantity of beer so that you can drink when you soak!
The historical past of beer spas
In line with a number of beer spa web sites, the custom of soaking in a beer bathtub (or a shower together with beer elements) just isn’t a brand new one, and originated in Central Europe. It is mentioned that beer baths date again to at the least the 900s, when King Wenceslas, the Duke of Bohemia, would take baths in wort (the byproduct of the mashing course of throughout beer brewing).
The primary industrial beer spa claims to be The First Beer Spa Beerland within the spa city of Karlovy Differ within the Czech Republic, which first opened in 1981.
The Czech Republic consumes extra beer per capita than some other nation on the earth, and gave the world the pilsner. So whereas the beer spa idea has unfold far and vast now world wide, it is nonetheless the preferred within the Czech Republic the place all of it started.
When Elliot and I have been planning our 3 days in Prague, I made a decision we must always take a look at out one in all these beer spas for ourselves. (Truthfully I am nonetheless stunned I used to be the one to recommend this, however I am prepared to do a variety of seemingly bizarre issues for a superb story!)
Beer spa choices in Prague
Should you’re inquisitive about going to a beer spa, Prague is totally the spot to attempt one for the primary time. Prague just isn’t solely a superb beer metropolis (well-known for having “beer cheaper than water” – which is definitely true when you’re evaluating it to bottled water), but it surely additionally has fairly just a few totally different beer spas to select from.
The 4 primary beer spa chains in Prague are:
- Beer Spa Beerland – With places all around the Czech Republic, this was the primary beer spa to open in Prague. They now have two places in Prague with totally different remedy room choices, and serve each a darkish and lightweight Czech Krušovice beer on-tap in every room. (Book here or here)
- Unique Beer Spa – This beer spa chain has three totally different places round Prague (two within the New City, and one within the Previous City). They’ve a pair totally different spa room choices, and likewise serve each a darkish and lightweight Czech Krušovice beer on-tap to friends. (Book here)
- Bernard Beer Spa – They’ve a number of places round central Prague, and serve Bernard Beer, a standard unpasteurized Czech beer. Together with beer spa choices, you too can ebook massages right here. (Book here)
- Lázně Pramen – They’ve two totally different spas, with Lázně Pramen Letná being the latest and largest. They not solely supply beer spas serving Kynšperský Zajíc beer, but in addition wine spa experiences (full with wine to drink as an alternative of beer), and the possibility to chill out in a salt cave after your soak. (Book here)
All the beer spas in Prague supply actually comparable experiences. You possibly can depend on a remedy room that resembles a comfy cellar, giant oak sizzling tubs to soak in, beer on faucet, and straw beds to chill out on after your soak. Some supply further extras like saunas, however the fundamental expertise will not range an excessive amount of!
Elliot and I booked the Unique Beer Spa on Žitná avenue within the New City, which was inside a brief stroll from our resort.
Who goes to a beer spa?
Let me be clear: beer spas in Prague exist virtually 100% for vacationers. You are not prone to discover many locals right here, and when you’re merely seeking to drink low-cost beer in Prague, a beer spa is not the place to do it.
In any other case, it is very best for {couples} or small teams of associates. Some beer spas do permit kids underneath 18 (18 is the authorized consuming age within the Czech Republic); you simply must examine FAQs, or contact them to ask (Bernard Beer Spa and Beer Spa Beerland undoubtedly permit youngsters).
Elliot and I did this as a {couples} exercise, and it was a lot enjoyable!
Going to a Prague beer spa: What to anticipate
Okay, now to the beer spa expertise itself! Here is every thing you could find out about what to anticipate:
Reserving a beer spa
You possibly can ebook the entire beer spas listed above on-line upfront – and also you undoubtedly DO wish to ebook upfront, as most spas solely have a handful of remedy rooms, they usually usually promote out. I booked our beer spa about 2 days upfront, however you’ll be able to after all ebook additional out.
How a lot does a beer spa value?
Costs range relying on the spa and how much room and tub setup you ebook (for instance, it is cheaper when you share one tub between two folks). You are undoubtedly paying for the entire expertise at a beer spa, although, and it is not low-cost!
Some pattern costs (these are totals for two folks):
- 2 folks sharing 1 tub for 1 hour in a fundamental room: 2700 CZK ($120 USD)
- 2 folks in 2 tubs for 1 hour in a fundamental room: 3300 CZK ($145 USD)
- 2 folks sharing 1 tub in an upgraded room: 3400 CZK ($150 USD)
- 2 folks in 2 tubs in an upgraded room: CZK 4,000 ($175 USD)
Costs embrace time to soak within the beer tubs, limitless beer to drink straight from your individual personal faucet(s), normally some form of snack like beer bread, and a straw mattress to chill out on afterwards.
Elliot and I booked the “Beerland” room on the Unique Beer spa, which had 3 picket tubs it in (we solely used 2 of them) together with a personal hops sauna and huge double bathe space. Our complete value was round $185 for an hour on the beer spa.
Arrival on the beer spa
Arrival to a beer spa is like arriving at most some other spa. You may examine in at some form of entrance desk in a foyer space that normally has some beer-related skincare merchandise on the market. Most may even have an open faucet in case you arrive early and wish to get began consuming right away!
When you’re all checked in, you may then be led to your personal remedy room. (As a result of sure, all the bathtub rooms are personal; you will not must share the area with anybody outdoors your group.)
The attendant who takes you to your room will clarify the timing of every thing, and can prep your sizzling tubs for you. Then they will set a timer so you’ll be able to hold observe of your time, and go away you to get modified and begin your spa expertise.
Soaking in a beer sizzling tub
So do you actually soak in beer? Sure and no. The recent tubs are stuffed principally with sizzling water. After which a mix of a bit of little bit of beer, hops, and brewer’s yeast is added into the water earlier than the jets are turned on.
Most beer spas use rectangular oak tubs with picket seats inside that may match 2 folks, and every sizzling tub is inside arm’s attain of the beer faucets – that means you do not have to get out of your tub, even to refill your beer mug!
Do I’ve to put on a swimsuit?
Because you’re in a personal remedy room with simply others in your social gathering, clothes/swimwear is non-compulsory within the beer sizzling tubs. I select to put on a swimsuit principally as a result of I knew we would be taking some pictures so I might write this publish, however a lot of the spas truly advocate bathing nude to totally get all of the pores and skin advantages.
After your beer spa
As soon as the recent tub jets cease working (normally 20-Half-hour into your appointment), you’ll be able to proceed sitting within the tub, or you may get out to get pleasure from any of the opposite facilities in your remedy room.
One in every of these facilities is a mattress body (normally giant sufficient for two folks) full of free straw.
I truthfully cannot discover any clarification of WHY beer spas supply straw beds, or whether or not folks truly have a tendency to put on them. To me, this was simply odd and under no circumstances inviting (although the Unique Beer Spa does at the least present sheets to put on on high of the straw in order for you).
Since we had paid for an upgraded room, we additionally had entry to a personal hop sauna, and a big double bathe area that had oak buckets full of chilly water hanging from the ceiling in case you needed some chilly immersion after your sizzling soak (however the showers additionally had common sizzling water).
It is truly really useful that you just not bathe with cleaning soap for at the least 12 hours after this remedy for all of the pores and skin advantages – however you may undoubtedly at the least wish to rinse the hops and malt residue off earlier than you get modified.
And naturally, the beer faucets stay on all through your entire session.
Am I going to odor like beer?
Bear in mind how I mentioned I do not even just like the odor of beer? My largest concern earlier than this expertise was that the room was going to odor like beer, and that I would go away smelling like beer. However guess what? Neither of these issues occurred!
Since you’re principally soaking in water and beer *elements,* there’s actually no robust beer odor within the remedy rooms. (It additionally helps that beer spas will not be situated at breweries, so there is no permeating odor of fermentation round.)
There’s clearly beer concerned on this expertise since you’ll be able to drink as a lot as you need, however I used to be so pleasantly stunned to search out that nothing smelled too strongly of beer. (Even my swimsuit did not odor dangerous, although I did rinse it out throughly with some shampoo.)
Is a beer spa for me?
Should you’ve learn this far and nonetheless are not sure whether or not that is an exercise that you just’d get pleasure from… then perhaps it is not. However I will be trustworthy: I went into my beer spa anticipating to simply get some content material for a weblog publish (and that perhaps that weblog publish can be about how I actually did not get pleasure from it), however I ended up having a lot enjoyable!
Going to a beer spa is unquestionably a singular expertise. It isn’t low-cost (particularly in a spot like Prague the place beer IS actually low-cost), however I personally would nonetheless advocate it!
What if I do not drink beer?
Hear, I do not drink beer. In any respect. Any picture you see of me holding a beer is simply that: a photograph of me holding a beer. (Don’t fret, although; Elliot drank all of the beer we poured!)
You do not HAVE to drink beer to get pleasure from going to a beer spa. Positive, you may get worth for cash when you do drink beer, but it surely’s not a requirement for enjoyment.
At the very least one beer spa in Prague truly provides a combo beer spa + wine spa, the place you’ll be able to soak in (and drink) wine as an alternative of beer. This selection contains one beer tub and one wine tub, which might be good for a pair the place one in all you does not love beer! (Book this option here)
So what do you assume? Would you check out a beer spa in Prague?
