Swedish massage or physiotherapy in Krakow
June 17, 2018 8:41 AM   Subscribe

I’m in Krakow about a mile west of ‘the cloth hall.’ I need a massage and I don’t speak any Polish. Please help me find a legit massage therapist who can get me infor an hour tomorrow. I need to be done by 2pm.

I’ve been trying to google this for two days and for the same reasons I need this massage, I’m out of spoons to deal with google and my probably overblown anxiety of ending up in the hands of a sec worker who isn’t actually qualified for therapeutic massage.
posted by bilabial to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)
 
Best answer: I can't help with the scheduling thing, but here are a few legit-looking massage therapists in Kraków, in order of perceived usefulness based on reviews and websites:

http://www.studiotwojegozdrowia.com/lang/uk/ - they're in the city centre, professional certified physiotherapists and English-speaking judging by the website, open until 9PM every day
http://www.gabinetmasazu.info.pl/en/ - highly rated on Google, also city centre, closed today, opens 11AM tomorrow
http://www.masarnia-twojmasaz.pl/en/index,s,1 - this lot are certified masseurs, not physiotherapists, and a bit on the outskirts (take a cab/Uber), but they have an online reservation system. It's tricky to navigate but it tells me they have 4 1-hour slots open on Monday, so if you call around 9AM when they open, you should be able to nab one.
https://homerehab.pl/kontakt/ - these ladies (one physiotherapist with a BA, one certified masseuse) do home visits, emails may be easier today than calling on what may be a personal phone on a Sunday

Except the last lot, they all have English websites so they should be used to tourist and expat clients (of which there are a LOT in Kraków). Ask for "classic" or "medical" massage - Swedish is the default modality in Poland anyway. If by some miracle you call any of these studios and they don't speak English, ask the receptionist - or if you're not in a hotel, any service person under 35 who looks amenable to a good tip. We all learned English in school and service people in tourist destinations use English daily.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 9:06 AM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]


Also, if you're worried about ending up in a sex rather than therapeutic place - any place that offers medical massage (masaż leczniczy) should be legit. Also look for (or ask for) the masseur's education. There are certified masseur technicians (a two-year degree) and physiotherapists (three-year BA or five-year MA degree) - the latter is a more rounded education, but even the technician degree is rigorous. If they mention they studied at AWF / Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego / Academy of Physical Education, that's the most prestigious college.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 9:56 AM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Booked. Thank you so much.
posted by bilabial at 12:41 PM on June 17, 2018


Response by poster: Following up, I went to the first place on the list. It’s a “medical massage” place attached to/in a hotel. It was great. I feel so much better.
posted by bilabial at 3:29 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]


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