Balneoforum 2026: experts presented the latest findings in spa research

PRESS RELEASE

Balneoforum 2026: experts presented the latest findings in spa research

Karlovy Vary, November 12, 2026– Fourteen expert presentations and more than 110 participants. The Balneoforum 2026 professional conference, held on November 10 at the Společenský dům in Františkovy Lázně, offered an overview of the latest findings in spa research, ranging from the treatment of female infertility to respiratory rehabilitation. The event was organized by the Institute of Spa and Balneology, v. v. i. (ILaB), under the auspices of Petr Kubis, Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, and Adam Vojtěch, Minister of Health.

Balneoforum 2026 is the second edition of the professional conference, whose main goal is to connect experts from academia, healthcare, research institutions, and spa practice. A total of fourteen presentations were given at the Společenský dům by representatives of healthcare, research, and the private sector. Topics included research on spa treatment for female infertility, respiratory rehabilitation, and osteoporosis prevention. Considerable attention was also given to sustainability, with experts discussing changes in the mineral water regime in the Cheb Basin and the use of rainwater and greywater as part of climate-adapted spa practices.

“What pleases me most about this year's Balneoforum is the extraordinary support and interest in our work from spa facilities across the Czech Republic, leading Czech universities, the Ministry of Health, and the leadership of the Karlovy Vary Region. I personally greatly appreciate the support of the Union of Czech Spas, because the trust of those who provide spa care on a daily basis is especially important to us as a research institution. I am convinced that only together can we move Czech spa medicine forward,”summarizes Alina Huseynli, Director of the organizing Institute of Spa and Balneology, v. v. i., on the conference.

The conference confirmed that spa research is key to the further development of this traditional field and enabled professional discussion across disciplines and regions. It follows up on ILaB's long-term effort to base spa care on data, that is, on evidence-based medicine.“Spa care is an inseparable part of therapeutic care. And this is what our research activities must also build on,”emphasized Ladislav Špišák, Chairman of the ILaB Council, during his presentation.

The need for spa medicine based on data was also highlighted by Eduard Bláha, President of the Union of Czech Spas of the Czech Republic. “Spa operators place considerable hopes in the institute's activities in the fields of presentation, promotion, and scientific advocacy of spa care. They look forward with similarly high hopes to the relatively recent establishment of the Czech Balneological Society. Through its activities, the institute is gradually filling a long-standing gap in the research and scientific advocacy of spa care, and today's entire conference was conducted in a similar spirit.”

The conference was held as part of the “Spa Research Center” project, co-financed by the European Union through the Just Transition Operational Programme.