Polichnitos Thermal Springs Hippocrates

The Polichnitou Thermal Baths have been in use since the Turkish occupation. After the liberation they were taken by the Municipality of Polichnitou where in 1953 it built the second reservoir which today functions as a women’s swimming pool.

The buildings behind the Baths were built in 1892 by the private doctor Christianos. It had two tanks, a guest house, mud baths and at the top of the hill a small cafe in the basement of which catacombs had been built where the doctor transported snow from Olympus in the winter, stored it and had ice water in the summer. He also built the Almyropotamos bridge.

Therapeutic properties

The waters, at the exit of Polichnitos towards Vatera, in the thermal springs facilities, spring from many sources, through volcanic primary and secondary porous rocks. Their temperature is between 67 C and 92 C (the temperature in the baths is between 42 C and 44 C) they are considered among the warmest in Europe. They are chlorosodium and are native to Wiesbaden, Germany.

On the right there are a row of low buildings, among eucalyptus trees are the baths with the tanks that were renovated on top of the old ones that operated years ago. Grooves old, and new. Free-flowing water that evaporates, staining the bottom red from growing thermophilic bugs (algae). Beyond, behind a forest of brambles, stands a complex of buildings, with the long narrow dormitories and arched buildings of the old reservoirs.

And continuing the description, we must mention the small three-arched bridge of the Almyropotamos (one of the few that have survived to this day) and beyond, the old fountain made of yellowish and pink softstone.

The hot springs of Polichnitos were in use during the Turkish occupation and since 1953 they have been operating with two tanks.

Chemical properties

Based on their physico-chemical composition, the thermal waters of Polichnitos are classified in the group of chlorinated springs. The water is clear, odorless and enriched with natural radon radiation 15 – 25 MACHE units with oxycarbonate chlorides and sulfates of calcium, sodium with free carbon dioxide, with compounds of iron, magnesium, manganese, oxygen and traces of iodine, bromine.

In addition to the relaxing properties, the healing waters of Polichnitos are suitable for chronic forms of rheumatism, arthropathies (chronic degenerative and deforming conditions), rhizoneuritis, chronic spondyloarthritis, back pain, deformities and post-traumatic injuries of the skeletal system.

In fact, due to the beneficial effect of the thermal stimulus ( = water temperature) and the buoyancy of the bather’s body ( = reduction of body weight with better movement “almost without” pain), the chemical-osmotic effect of the salts and mainly of sulfur is achieved (it prevents the action of hyaluronidase) which destroys bone and articular osteochondral surfaces).

The thermal waters also help to deal with chronic diseases of the gynecological cycle, such as inflammatory diseases of gynecological origin, fallopian tube dysfunction – dysmenorrhea, female sterilization.

The circle of therapeutic properties, however, does not end here, but extends to endocrine dysfunctions (due to the rejuvenating effect of radon), peripheral vessels related to circulatory failure, gout, secondary skin diseases, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and in gastritis mainly dyspepsia, which may be hypochlorhydric with hypotonia and gastric atony.