Posted By CATHY STAPELLS, SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA

It seemed only natural that a town like Chodova Plana -- which is famous for its beer and located near the famous spa towns of Marianske Lazne and Karlovy Vary -- would have beer-infused treatments at the local spa (in the Hotel U Sladka).

I was booked for the 20-minute beer bath. But I wasn’t expecting to enter the bathing room and see an actual beer keg hooked up directly to the bath taps. Warmed beer was filling up the tub, creating the biggest head of beer I had ever seen. That’s when my friends and I started laughing.

It seemed all the more funny because we spied six curtained tubs lined up in two rows of three. We were all going to soak together -- just like a six-pack.

Blended with mineral water, curative herbs, yeast and hops, the beer bath is the most popular treatment at Pivni Lazne (beer spa). It aims to rejuvenate tired and dry skin, boost circulation and provide mental and physical relaxation.

The bath was heated to 34°C, and through the curtains, I could hear us all "oohing"’ and "aahing" as we settled into our amber-filled tubs, enjoying the relaxing heat.

A few minutes into the suds, a spa attendant brought each of us a half-pint of cool and refreshing Chodovar beer to sip. The experience was getting better and better. Pretty soon all the joking stopped and we dedicated ourselves to serious relaxing. The beer went down just fine.

A 20-minute soak was just about right because by that time the bath was starting to cool. The spa attendants returned, wrapped us all in sheets and we retired to the relaxation room, where we spent another 20 minutes cocooned in duvet blankets, sweating out toxins in a process the beer bath had started.

I let my mind drift. I’m not sure who it was, but I definitely heard snoring from across the room.

It was recommended that we didn’t shower for a few hours after the treatment and when I dressed a while later, I still had bits of herbs stuck to my skin. I also wondered whether we all smelled like a brewery, but if we did, we all came from the same keg and I didn’t worry about it for long.

The earliest written account of a brewery in Chodova Plana is from 1573, built over the ancient cellars chiseled out of granite rock that were foundations for a castle long since crumbled away. Beer is still matured in these cellars in huge barrels. There’s also a brewery museum, and tours of the brewery are conducted daily.

Part of the underground vaults also houses a cozy restaurant that serves delicious Czech favourites such as goulash and dumplings, plus a selection of European cuisine. And, of course, there’s a selection of beer.

I recommend it for drinking -- and for soaking.

More information

At Pivni Lazne, a beer bath is 600 CZK crowns (about $35 Cdn) for one and 1200 CZK crowns ($70 Cdn) for two in a double bath. See chodovar. cz. For travel information, contact Czech Tourism Canada at czechtourism.com.