Verde

In an ideal world, a spa isn't simply a place where you can get a bit of a rub down, a facial or some other body pampering. No, the place itself should be somewhere that, immediately upon entering, you can feel the weight of the world lifting, where the therapy starts before you've even said hello.

Just a few seconds off the Main Square, on Bracka Street, is Verde; Krakow's very own oasis of tranquillity right in the city centre. The interior is a relaxing blend of pastel minimalism and understated grandeur: plain parquet floors and light-coloured walls are offset by elegant furniture and soft lighting. Sympathetic professionals are there to help you.

Among the treatments on offer are an extensive range of massages and facials. Massages include Classic Swedish, Thai, Indonesian, Hot Stone, Anti-cellulite and Aromatherapeutic. There is a choice between Finnish and infrared saunas, which offer quite different approaches (and incidentally, this is the only sauna in the Old Town). There are a number of beauty treatments, including collagen, exfoliation/dermabrasion, pedicure and manicure, permanent makeup, eyelash extending/thickening and depilation and waxing. There is also a cosmetics offer, although the main emphasis is on body therapy.

If you're feeling weary, or have an aching back, need buffing up a little, or maybe just need to escape for an hour or two, then Verde can not only offer you the treatment you seek from highly skilled and qualified therapists, it also offers a place of quiet and calm right in the heart of Krakow's Old Town. Its list of options is extensive, and they're only too happy to discuss your personal needs in detail. From the moment you walk in you can start to relax.