�y��vlog

After World War I, the empire collapsed, and the balneotherapy industry — natural healing based on therapies like cold and warm baths — eventually went out of fashion.

Trends were inspired by the likes of Sebastian Kneipp, a Bavarian priest who believed in balneotherapy; walking barefoot on stones, dewy grass and snow; and keeping a mostly vegetarian diet.

One study even showed that balneotherapy – or bathing in mineral springs, usually at a spa – treated anxiety better than a prescription medication.

Also known as hydrotherapy, balneotherapy involves the use of water for therapeutic purposes, and it dates as far back as 1700 B.C.

Proponents of the therapy cite findings that water might boost people’s immune systems, though research on balneotherapy’s effectiveness remains inconclusive.