Study visit to Terme Sveti Martin
The City of Križevci has organised a one day Study-visit to Associated partner no. 12 - Terme Sveti Martin. Participants were students and professors from two higher education institutions: Križevci College of Agriculture and The Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering (University of Zagreb). This study visit took place on Wednesday, 10th of June 2020. The focus was on sustainable development of SPAs and first networking of that kind for this projects partners’ activities. First goal was to connect the Terme Sveti Martin (especially its Maintenance sector) with students that study course Hydrothermal resources on Geotechnical engineering Faculty.
It was a good opportunity for students to see geothermal wells live and the Maintenance and Safety director Mr. Vedran Augustić did good job on the field showing all wells they use and answering students’ questions.
As for the sustainable development and getting back to the nature - the good practice of Biodynamic philosophy and gardening was also studied in the framework of the visit. Mrs. Gracia Petek (Terme’s Healthness manager) gave participants a tour of Terme Sveti Martin’s biodynamic garden and talked about its principles in general. It is interesting how during this global Covid-19 crisis, people got back to nature and soil – all the things you can produce by yourself when everything else is shut down. On that note, there is a “Seed bank” in the Terme Sveti Martin BD Garden where locals can pick and exchange old seed varieties.
The objectives of the study visit were to:
- provide the participants with a proper understanding of “sustainable development of SPAs while protecting the unique natural resources constituting their basis”
- visit water system in thermal power plant – geothermal wells
- visit the biodynamic garden
- create networking between participants.
During the day, presentations were given by:
- Lucija Topić, City of Križevci - Project manager PP6
- Jelena Petrošanec, Lifeclass Terme Sveti Martin – Marketing manager
- Sandra Kantar, Ph.D., professor at the Križevci College of Agriculture
- Hrvoje Meaški, Ph.D., professor at the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering
As the students and professors arrived to Terme Sveti Martin, General Director Mr. Igor Nekić welcomed all the study-visit participants and gave introduction of the Lifeclass Terme Sveti Martin and its business. He has also wished all a good study-visit and stated that it is their pleasure to be a part of the HealingPlaces project. Firstly, to help participants understand what the Interreg CE HealingPlaces project represents, PP6’s project manager Mrs. Lucija Topić held presentation about project in general, partners’ consortium, projects objectives, expected result and outputs. They could also hear about the Terme Sveti Martin’s role as the associated partner in the project. During the second presentation that was held by Mrs. Jelena Petrošanec - Terme’s Marketing manager, participants were introduced to Lifeclass Terme Sveti Martin and heard that SPA consumers visit the SPA not only because of joy and fun, but they use health treatments and packages to improve their health. For example, “Bioscan“ is used within medical wellness packages as a combination of modern IT sciences, biophysics, electrical engineering, higher technology and quantum medicine, and also, „HRV-scan“ is used to analyse the biorhythmic processes of the human organism. Participants have also learned that the rich thermo-mineral water with high levels of mineralization has been known in Sveti Martin since 1911, when a hungaro-english company “London-Budapest” drilled for oil, but instead of oil – thermo-mineral water was discovered. According to analyses, the water at Terme Sveti Martin is more than 43000 years old and is among the best quality and most healing waters in Europe. The average depth from which the thermo mineral water is drawn is 600 m. After the presentations, participants had the opportunity to see biodynamic garden with plants and herbs which are used in preparing meals, health treatments and products in Terme Sveti Martin. During lunch or dinner, guests can pick their own herbs and incorporate them in meals. Terme are proud of their “0km” policy – only fresh, organic and local produce are being used. One of their suppliers is the Family farm “Hažić” which was the last stop of the study-visit. From the BD garden, participants took a walk to the hydrothermal resources with Terme’s Maitanance and Safety Director Mr. Vedran Augustić. He showed the participants their three (3) boreholes. Two of them are in use, while the third one is still in the research process. The family farm “Hažić” was next and last destination where two more presentations were held – about the two Faculties. Host and Head of the Family farm, Mrs. Tatjana Hažić, also warmly welcomed participants and gave presentation of the Family farm, their business, produce and also EU projects implementation.
Mrs. Sandra Kantar, Ph.D., professor from Križevci College of Agriculture held presentation about College and its activities and achievements. Križevci College of Agriculture is an independent public higher education institution, which continues tradition of the former Royal Agriculture and Forestry College that was established in 1860 in Križevci as the first agriculture and forestry college in the South East Europe.
Later on, Mr. Hrvoje Meaški, Ph.D., professor held presentation about The Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering and its mission to conduct scientific research and higher education based on it, in the interdisciplinary field of environmental engineering and the transfer and application of knowledge to the economy. Faculty’s work on the STEM field has been presented, as well as various international projects activities and the „GFV-ID“ which is Faculty’s Research profile.
Participants were very interested in the study-visit’s activities, learning about Terme facilities and water resource and the way of exploiting thermal water, as well as the sustainable development and Biodynamic approach. All participants showed interest in cooperation and participation in project in the future period.
The event which took place at the Terme Sveti Martin was organised jointly by the project team of the City of Križevci and the Lifeclass Terme Sveti Martin.
Associated partner AP12: https://www.termesvetimartin.com/en/
Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering: https://www.gfv.unizg.hr/
Križevci College of Agriculture: https://www.vguk.hr/
