Resort history - Terme Sveti Martin

How instead of oil….they struck thermal water….

The exceptionally rich thermal water with its high content of mineralisation has been known since the year 1911, the British-Hungarian company ‘London Budapest ’was drilling for oil but instead of oil found mineral water.

The local population soon discovered the healing properties of the water and in 1936, a wooden pool, some 3 metres wide and 4 metres long was built along with a covered pool with seven baths installed for soaking in the thermal water. .Because of the exceptional mineral content of the thermo-mineral water and the presence of carbon dioxide, it was good to drink and right up to the outbreak of World War II, it was bottled under the name of ‘Međimorsko jodno vrelo Selnica – Sv. Martin na Muri. It was also distributed in bottles of 1.44 litres (1 oka) under the name of ’Mineralno međimursko vrelo Vučkovec’

In 1996, the mineral springs were bought by the ‘Modeks’ company and the pool areas were renovated. Also renovated were the pools, buildings, changing rooms, the sanitation and utility rooms. The approach roads were asphalted and the restaurant was renewed. Up until 2003 and the arrival of the present owners, the thermal springs were called ‘Toplice Vučkovec’ and they were open seasonally only in the summer months as an outdoor bathing are with three pools and a restaurant.

Since 2003, the Thermal Springs have been called ‘Toplice Sveti Martin’ and from that time, they have undergone an intense period of business and tourism development. They have gradually built up a name for themselves, above all through the natural attributes of the surroundings, the kindness of the staff and quality service. The Spa is today a leader in continental tourism. The completion of the hotel and golf course represented the largest project to date in continental tourism with an investment of over 300 million HRK and more than 200 employees.

Moreover, considering that before the start of this project, there was only a single outdoor pool on this location; the investment represented one of the largest green-field investments in Croatia. This great step forward in the quality of the services available that now satisfy the demands of a higher class of local and foreign guests has been accompanied by changes to the brand of the ‘Spa & Sport Resort Sveti Martin’. The name of the resort has become synonymous first class continental tourism, not only in Croatia but also in neighbouring countries.

In order for the resort to maintain the quality of service and the standard, the most modern world trends were taken care of by the famous Slovenian brand LifeClass, which arrived in Međimurje in 2014 and turned the resort into the LifeClass Terme Sveti Martin. The mission of Terme Sveti Martin and the LifeClass philosophy coincided in three things, namely healthy living, sports and recreation, and local gastronomy, which together came under the slogan "The World of healthy pleasures.

During the past years the resort was increasingly focused on the development of products and services that are closely linked to healthy living and everything related to it, therefore it was very important to crystallise and modernise its own visual identity. In accordance with the philosophy of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, whose elements were merged into a dynamic loop, the resort laid the foundations of the Healthness philosophy, which intertwines active rest, wellness relaxation and healthy gastronomy to maintain the balance of the body, mind and spirit. In 2021, Terme Sveti Martin have become a recognisable brand that guarantees the quality of service and guest satisfaction as the "First Healthness Resort in Europe".