The spa tradition in Kuressaare is not a recent wellness industry invention. The island's dolomite mud — rich in minerals, with a slightly warming effect on the skin — has been used medicinally since at least the 18th century, when the first bath houses were established. By the 19th century, visitors from St. Petersburg and across the Russian Empire came to Kuressaare specifically to take the cure. The Kuursaal and the bathhouses were built to serve this trade.
The tradition survives in several spa hotels around the town centre, most offering full mud therapy programmes alongside seawater pools, massage, and general wellness treatments. The Grand Rose and the Arensburg are the main options, both operating as proper medical spa hotels with trained staff rather than day spas. If you are coming to Kuressaare specifically for a spa, book treatments in advance, particularly in summer.