Slowly drifting into dreamland, there is a soft tiny voice above me saying please turn over. Where am I? For a minute, I am not sure. I now remember as I drift in and out of sleepiness, I am enjoying my first Abhyanga Massage at Svata Katerina Resort Czech Republic.
Our stay at the Svata Katerina Resort in the Czech Republic came just at the right time. Travel is our life and being on the road long-term is what we do, but there are times when you just have to stop – take a breath – and relax. Our lives may look glamorous as we travel the world, but travel can be tiring, especially when you spend only 1 night in each place and during the day you are packing so much in trying to capture the essence of a city or town.
We had just spent 3 weeks travelling around the Czech Republic as guests of Czech Tourism and TBEXOstrava2018 the largest Travel Blogging Conference for over 500 travel bloggers held in Ostrava during the month of July.
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During those 3 weeks, we travelled from East to West and North to South of the Czech Republic learning about its history, culture, cuisine, spa and wellness, mining, wineries and the people. We enjoyed every moment and will take away fond memories of the hospitality of the Czech Republic and its people.
The idea of spending 3 nights unwinding from our hectic schedule and learning more about Svata Katerina Resort’s Ayurvedic programme caught our attention. When we spent time in Kerala, India in 2017 we briefly experienced a couple of Ayurvedic massages during our travels but we were keen to understand the benefits and what better than to take part in their Ayurveda Rejuvenation programme. We were hosted by Resort Svata Katerina during our stay.
The programs are provided by professionals trained by the Indian Ayurvedic Centre Kairali.
Location of Svata Katerina Resort

Svata Katerina Resort is located in the highlands of Vysocina on the border of Moravia and Bohemia surrounded by forests and hilly meadows. The nearest town is Pocatky, and it is halfway between Prague and Brno and quite close to Telc and Pelhrimov. The closest train station is at Pocatky with easy connections to Prague and Brno.
Our Ayurveda Rejuvenation Program for 3 Nights at Svata Katerina
Before we arrived a program had been devised for Duncan and me. The program can be for 4/6/ or 8 days and combines healing massages, herbal therapies and baths to assist the lymphatic and immune systems. The program assists in physical and mental recovery and provides a blueprint for a new healthier lifestyle.
Each program will be different for each person. As part of the program, we had full board (3 meals per day), and our drinking regime was the local Spa/Spring Water of St. Catherine’s which was hot water (which can be flavoured with either ginger or lemon slices) and free entry to the Wellness and Spa Centre.

Sunday
12.30 – 1500 Lunch at the Restaurant Voda
- Vegetable Soup
- Beetroot and Gherkin Salad
- Lemon Rice
- Dry Green Dahl
- Majjiga – a spicy buttermilk
- Coconut balls
15.45 – 1630 – Consultation with the Ayurvedic Doctor
17.00 – 1800 – Abhyanga Massage
1900 – Dinner
- Green Gram Soup
- Kachumber Salad
- Pumpkin Erissery
- Roti
- Ada Pradhaman – sticky dessert
Monday
08.00 – Breakfast
- Pear, mint and lemon juice
- Oats with fruit
10.00 – 11.00 – Abhyanga Massage
13.00 – Lunch
- Carrot Dhaniya Soup
- Carrot Salad with Honey and Lemon Dressing
- Coconut Rice
- Onion tomato curry
- Rice pudding
14.00 – 1500 – Lecture about Ayurveda
17.45 – 18.45 Shirodhara Massage
19.00 Dinner
- Oat and Vegetable Soup
- Red Radish and white sesame salad with coriander
- Bean Salad
- Chappatti
- Coconut Banana Cookie
Tuesday

08.15 – 09.15 – Hatha Yoga
09.15 Breakfast
- Grapefruit juice
- Masala Dosa
- Tomato Gojju
11.00 – 12.00 Abhyanga Massage
13.00 Lunch
- Mixed Vegetable Soup
- Broccoli, bean sprouts and green pea salad
- Jeera Rice
- Dal with bell peppers
- Yellow buttermilk
- Pumpkin Halwa
18.00 – 1900 Podikizhi Massage
19.30 – Dinner
- Garlic Beetroot Soup
- Carrot Raisin Salad
- Aloo Bhaji
- Paratha
- Carrot Kheer – dessert
Wednesday
Breakfast 08.00
- Orange and carrot juice
- Vegetarian Kithari
- Cherupayaru Curry
Our thoughts about Svata Katerina:
The food was excellent, our favourite cuisine is Indian, and this did not disappoint. The freshness of the food, the variety, the presentation and the quantity were perfect for us.

The two massages a day were heaven, and the opportunity to try three different types gave us a good understanding of the healing powers of Ayurvedic therapies. Duncan has issues with his sciatic nerve and two extra massages were programmed into his daily routine.
The second day we both experienced headaches, even though we were drinking lots of hot water, this is natural as we were not drinking coffee or alcohol.

Our time in between massages and meals was spent sitting outside around the pond reading and relaxing or walking through the resort to the Druid Stone Circle.
How did we feel at the end of our stay at Svata Katerina?
We certainly felt the benefits of the treatments in the short time we were there. Can you imagine how we would have felt after spending 7 nights?
General Information About Svata Katerina Resort
Check out our YouTube Video:
Accommodation at Svata Katerina

There are different types of accommodation available. We stayed in the main hotel – Hotel St Katerina which has 42 rooms and 3 Junior Suites.
There is also Hotel Garnison which has 10 rooms and is perfect for families with children or dogs and the Hotel Gymnasium which has 24 rooms.

You can enjoy the Svata Katerina Resort without a specific program and take advantage of the treatments and activities and the excellent cuisine and wine menu available at the Restaurants and Bars.
Restaurants and Bars at Svata Katerina
There are a variety of bars and restaurants:
- Voda Restaurant
- Orangerie Cafe
- Veranda terrace by the lake
- Bar Viva
- Pavillion Cafe
Check out our YouTube Video:
Some of the Types of programs/treatments available at Svata Katerina:
Ayurveda Weightloss – 8/11/15 days
Ayurvedic cleansing therapies, massages, a balanced vegetarian diet and food supplements.
Ayurveda Panchakarma – 8/15/22 days
A system of cleaning therapies that removes toxins by using oils, herbs, nutrition and massages.
Ayurveda Backpain – 8/15 days
Strengthens and stretches weakened muscles.
A combination of oil therapy and yoga, massages and therapies.
Ayurveda Yoga Detox – 8/10/15 days
Special ayurvedic therapies, yoga, meditation and cleansing diet for mind and body.

Massages and Treatments
- Abhyanga Massage is an oil massage. The oils are imported directly from Kerala in India and are a combination of camphor and coconut oil.
- Ayurveda Head Massages are an ancient massage practice with strong roots in traditional Indian culture.
- Anticellulite treatments
- Aromatherapy
- Foot Reflexology
- Kati Vasti is an Ayurvedic treatment specifically for back pain
- Podikizhi is a treatment that is made from medicated powder which is contained in a bolus and is applied with lukewarm medicated oil, either on the whole of the body or over the pain-affected areas only. Highly advisable in bone and joint conditions such as arthritis, spinal problems, spondylitis, sports injuries etc. Other benefits: Relieves pain, numbness and edema, controls vitiated Vata, improves peripheral blood supply, known to help cure diseases like paralysis and convulsions, and stimulates nerve endings.
- Rasul bath – is a traditional oriental cleansing procedure, concluded by half an hour in a warm steam bath. Its essence lies in the biochemical impact of mud, wildly occurring in nature, on the human body.
- Shirodhara – To experience the Shirodhara treatment, you lie down on a table and your eyes are covered as warm herbal oil is poured in a thin steady stream directly onto your forehead and sixth chakra. Shirodhara purifies the mind, alleviates anxiety, reduces headaches, and expands awareness.
- Sports massages
- Weight Loss
- Finish sauna, aromatherapy sauna, steam bath and salt steam bath
- Whirlpool
- 4 hydromassage outdoor tubs and jacuzzi
- Relaxation zones
- Unique bathtub made of one piece of lava stone
- 9 massage cabins
- Special wraps
- Thai and Ayurvedic massages
Activities at Svata Katerina
- Yoga (one of the most popular activities in the Svata Katerina Resort)
- Nordic Walking
- Pilates
- Gym
- Horse Riding
- Tennis
- Volleyball/Netball/Badminton
- Golf driving range
- Petanque
- Table tennis
- Beauty Saloon – manicures, pedicures, facials etc
- Bicycle Riding
- Hiking
Druids Stone Circle at Svata Katerina
Check out our YouTube on our visit to the Druids Stone Circle.
The Svata Katerina Resort has a modern replica of a megalithic structure which is the largest in the Czech Republic. The effect of the stones in the circle are based on the abilities of the crystals arising from channelling their clusters. The only other Druid Stone Circle that we have seen is at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom.
There are 33 stones in a large circle and the 34th stone is located in the centre. The watershed of the Black and the North Sea passes through this stone circle.
You enter the stone from the west and you also exit in this direction.
There are 3 rituals:
- one that increasess your awareness – takes up to 7 minutes
- one that assists in finding your place in society – takes up to 5 minutes
- one that assists in acquiring your lack of abilities – takes up to 10 minutes.
When you arrive at the Resort they will give you instructions on how to use the particular ritual.
Our thanks:
Our thanks go to all the team at Svata Katerina Resort. Our stay was complimentary and as always our opinions are our own.
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The highlands sound like such a beautiful landscape for a spa.. it must have been a stunning experience, and a great break from all your travels! I love how your treatment included lectures and a full meal plan as well. I think that kind of holistic program makes clients much more likely to continue such healthy regiments when they return home.
Hi Dee
Thank you for your comments. Svata Katerina is a perfect spa to get into a healthy regime. Certainly makes you rethink your current one.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
I would love to spend a week or more in a place like this where I can actually relax and rejuvenate with the Ayurvedic programs they are offering. Svata Katerina Resort is surely a great place to visit for soul transformation. I am always looking for places like this. I had been on one in Chiang Mai in Thailand. I am sure Svata Katerina Resort will be similar or better.
Hi Shreya
Thank you for your comments. Svata Katerina is a special place for Ayurvedic treatments. Hope you can visit one day.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Wow, I could definitely use a week away at Svata Katerina right about now. Two massages a day, yoga, and Indian food? That sounds like heaven to me. I bet you didn’t want to leave!
Hi Carrie Ann
Thank you for your comments. It was heaven, the food was incredible. We can highly recommend this destination to everyone.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
The resort looks spectacular. And with those Ayurvedic treatments on offer, I am sure it was the perfect place to rewind. Would love to spend a few days in a place like this. Your post makes it so convenient when I need to decide on options.
Hi Soumya
Thank you for your comments. We hope you can visit one day for some relaxation and downtime.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Svata Katerina Resort seems so much fun. I had one such stay in Kerala, India and I can happily admit that getting massages, eating and doing yoga all day is so damn amazing. I liked the rooms at Svata Katerina Resort. The beds look so cosy and inviting and so is the food.
Hi
Thank you for your comments. It was an amazing restful stay. Hope you can visit one day.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
This looks such an peaceful and nice place for relaxing on a trip. And food looks amazing too. I think sometimes we travel and want to see everything on our trips, and we forgot to take some time to ourselves to enjoy it. And to take care of bodies and minds. This seems like perfect place for that!
Hi Paula
Thank you for your comments. You are so right, we do need to take time out for ourselves. We travelled so much in 2018 we were exhausted at the end of it.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
I have never been to an Ayurvedic retreat but Svata Katerina surely has capturred the essence of Indian ayurvedic and yogic practices. From yoga to treatments with ayurvedic oil to the super amazing Indian food – it seems like a good place to experience something Indian in Czech republic 😀
Hi
Thank you for your comments. Svata Katerina was perfect for relaxation and the massages and food were heaven.
Cheers Jane and DUncan
What a beautiful post about an equally beautiful place I must say and one I woukd love to visit. The spa definitely looks so rejuvenating and full of positive energy. After that long travel you certainly needed this I must agree. The food and the lectures are complimentary of the spa and treatments I must say. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Amar
Thank you for your comments. If you want a relaxation vacation Svata is definitely the place to go to.
Cheers Jane and Duncan
Wow, what a relaxing resort with authentic Indian cuisine and that too surrounded by beautiful nature. I never knew that Indian Ayurveda treatment is given in Czech too. I loved the Svata Katerina resort because of its Ayurvedic therapies, drinking natural spring water and yummy delicious food.
Hi Yukti
Thank you for your comments. The Indian Cuisine was so good and not to forget the relaxing and health benefits of the massages.
Cheers Jane and DUncan