As the first month of the year slowly disappears, most of us silently search for warmth, dreaming of being pleasantly wrapped in a warm blanket. It could be the sun and its rays that become stronger and longer. As I paid a visit to yet another special rehabilitation hospital near Zagreb, I understood that my warm blanket could also be oil – brown, thick, coming from below.

I stared in wonder at the dark, brown liquid coming up, filling one of the therapeutic baths that our kind host and therapist demonstrated to us, the interested visitors. This is the main therapeutic procedure, which is a part of the rehabilitation of the patients that suffer from psoriasis. They are regular guests of this special place that is fully booked all year round. To my surprise, more and more clients are coming from Denmark, Russia and now Norway. Why not from Sweden, too? It will be up to us in Wellbe to make this information known there soon.

Our special hospital featured in this blog is a nice, friendly, bright place, only 27 km from Zagreb, situated in the area that has been blessed with natural oil. While its industrial production is ongoing, the therapeutic power of the oil, called “naftalan” (a petroleum mineral oil obtained by the distillation of naphthenic oil), is very well known to the world medical experts and those who regularly come here, year after year, in order to keep their condition under control. Indeed, our host told us, the remission of psoriasis is very slow after the “naftalan” therapy and a person can stay in this improved condition for six months up to a whole year.

I was shown all the opportunities and various treatments this special hospital offers. These include the physical therapy for the rehabilitation of rheumatic patients and post-injury manipulations. The hospital also offers procedures for small esthetic corrections. Actually, skin care of all kinds is a natural part of the offer, since “naftalan” contains ingredients that specifically improve dry skin conditions.

You may now ask: what about the Adriatic sea and long walks on perfect sunny days? Of course, there are fun places and things to do inland, too. For example, the Croatian capital Zagreb is a city worth visiting at any time of the year. There are many places to satisfy those with a cultural appetite, including history, architecture, music and so on, as well as providing rich sustenance from the abundance of gastronomic delights to be found locally. Many eco and agriculture farms open their doors for those interested in the local products and habits.

However, Croatia is difficult to imagine without the Adriatic sea! Therefore, from this special hospital, trips towards the south are often organized, sometimes for weekend breaks during the therapy periods, and sometimes for a whole week, usually following the treatment. So, one can dedicate full attention to the medical cure and treatments and then complete it with a nice time on the sunny Adriatic coast.

We in Wellbe like the idea very much!