ČATEž ob Savi, Slovenia

Čatež is Slovenia's largest and most popular spa centre (Terme Čatež) Web: www.terme-catez.si ). Hot springs were first discovered at Čatež in 1797 but it only really began to develop as a serious spa centre in the 1960s, with the construction of the first large pools and hotels. Today this more or less self-contained village is as much a recreational park as it is a therapeutic and treatment centre.

The huge water park (daily April to mid-Oct 9am–8pm; weekdays € 8, weekends € 10) comprises some nine thermal pools and bathing areas (average temperature 30°C), some with wave machines, waterfalls and slides. If it gets a bit cool, there's indoor action at the Toplice's modern Thermal Riviera (daily 9am–9pm; weekdays € 10, weekends € 11), which has a multitude of slides, wave pools, whirlpools and water massage machines; guests of the Toplice have unlimited free use of this pool, while guests of the other two hotels have free usage once a day.

If you fancy sweating off a few pounds, then the sauna park (weekdays € 10, weekends € 13), also inside the Toplice, incorporates eight different saunas – the Indian sauna, Salt sauna and Finnish Aroma sauna, to name but three. If that's not enough, the spanking new spa and wellness centre inside the Hotel Čatež accommodates a plethora of modern and exotic massages and treatments.