Professional paper
VARAŽDINSKE TOPLICE, THE BASE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH TOURISM IN THE VARAŽDIN COUNTY
Neven Ivandić
; Institut za turizam, Zagreb
Ivo Kunst
; Institut za turizam, Zagreb
Neda Telišman-Košuta
; Institut za turizam, Zagreb
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
positionated 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-yearlong
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.
Keywords
Health tourism; Varaždin County; Varaždinske Toplice; thermal mineral water
Hrčak ID:
170955
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2016.
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