Would you like to improve your health while enjoying the benefits of
small-town life that offers most of the cultural and leisure activities
usually associated only with major cities?
If asked for the difference between Reykjavík and major cities in
Europe and America, the answer is hot-spring water. This abundant,
natural resource has a major impact on the lives of Reykjavíks, and in
fact everyone else who spends time in the city.
Every year about 55 million tons of thermal water is pumped up through
deep wells within the city and its environs and utilized in a variety
of ways, the most important of which is space heating. The main benefit
of heating with hot-spring water, apart from its being inexpensive, is
that there is no pollution associated with it. This, along with little
pollution from industry, contributes to Reykjavík being one of the very
cleanest cities in world today.
Thermal water is also used to made daily life in the city that much
easier, for example, run-off water from heating systems is used to melt
ice and snow on sidewalks and parking lots, fill private hotpots and
swimming pools and to keep greenhouses blossoming. Many residents have
solariums in their gardens where tropical plants, fruits and vegetables
are grown, so while the weather outside might be freezing cold, inside
families are basking in an environment usually associated with a South
Sea island.
An important aspect in the utilization of thermal water is health
related. Reykjavík has seven thermal swimming pools and baths, and the
residents quite simply love them: the city's population is but 107,000,
yet a total of 1.7 million visit the pools annually. Many visit the
thermal pools and baths daily, but in general terms the average
Reykjavíkur goes about 15 times a year.
The main reason for this interest is the positive effects thermal water
has on both body and soul: the water softens stiff muscles and joints
creating ease of movement. The water is also ideal for senior citizens
and those who suffer from various ailments such as arthritis, heart
conditions, asthma and allergies. After a session at a thermal pool and
bath people feel considerably better, and when the body is happier so
is the soul.
Foreign tourists visiting Reykjavík are enchanted by their visits to
the city's thermal pools and baths. Surveys have shown that they rate
visiting these facilities second only to a daytrip into rural Iceland.
Ninety-six percent of foreign guests queried replied that they felt
better after visiting a thermal pool.
If so, then you should plan to visit Reykjavík during the hay fever
season in your home country. In March, April, May and most of June
there is virtually no airborne pollen in Reykjavík, so hay fever
sufferers experience total relief while in the city. Also, the thermal
pools and baths strengthen the lungs and body in general, so after
returning home hay-fever sufferers are better able to withstand the
onslaught of pollen.
Reykjavík's thermal pools and baths are in themselves reason enough to
visit SPA CITY REYKJAVÍK. If you would like further information, visit
our website at: www.spacity.is/.
Sigmar B. Hauksson
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