Turns out that HÕFF also has something to offer lovers of nature films.

We interviewed the team at Fra Mare, a long-time accommodation partner of HÕFF, to celebrate their 29th anniversary.

How much mud do you use each year?

We use approximately 40 tons of Haapsalu therapeutic mud per year. We collect it in the summer and store it in a special way to ensure a year-round supply and preserve all of its healing properties. These properties come from minerals such as bromine, iodine, calcium, and magnesium.

We offer mud treatments for both hands and feet as well as the whole body, which relieve muscle and joint pain, improve circulation, cleanse the skin of toxins, and provide deep relaxation.

Who are the most famous guests who have stayed with you?

Fra Mare and Haapsalu in general have welcomed extraordinary guests over the years. Our visitors include many actors, cultural figures, athletes, and celebrities, but particularly memorable have been the multiple visits by Led Zeppelin’s legendary Robert Plant, as well as visits by Gary Brooker, Bonnie Tyler, the band Uriah Heep, Katie Melua, James Morrison, and Paul Young.

Haapsalu, however, has been a well-known health resort for centuries. Russian emperors have come here to recuperate since Peter the Great, the founder of St. Petersburg (1715). Emperor Alexander II stayed in Haapsalu no fewer than four times (1852, 1856, 1857, 1859), Alexander III in 1871 and 1880, and the future Emperor Nicholas II in the same year.

What brought them here is the same thing that draws people to us today: Haapsalu’s therapeutic mud, seawater, and time that belongs only to you.

If Fra Mare were a movie, what kind of movie would it be?

Fra Mare would be something between Eat Pray Love and a meditative nature film. A full-length cinematic experience about recovery and self-care. The main character is someone who comes here in search of peace.

Every frame would be like a deep breath: the Paralepa pine forest in the morning light, the gentle touch of the sea breeze, the mud ritual. A film after which you don’t rush anywhere. You simply are.

You can explore Fra Mare Thalasso Spa packages here.

The 21st HÕFF will take place from April 30 to May 2 at the Haapsalu Cultural Center.