Forest bathing in English or shinrin-yoku in Japanese is a term coined in the 1980s by the Japanese doctor and scientist Qing Li. With his research, Qing Li confirmed the reasons we feel so much better after spending time in the forest, and his discovery has been for decades encouraging even the most stubborn city types to occasionally breathe in a little forest air. What is forest bathing and where to dive into it in the north, find out below.

Dr Qing Li has conducted his exhaustive multi-year research in different environments—in deep leafy forests, in leafless forests, in city parks or in treeless urban centres. His results showed that staying in a leafy forest, unlike other environments, increases the level of NK cells, the so-called natural killers. The role of these cells in our body is to find, pierce and kill diseased cells (eg. those attacked by a virus). In other words, staying in the forest has an extremely beneficial effect on our immune system.

But why the leafy forests? Trees seem to release chemical compounds through their leaves and enrich the forest air with phytoncides. This behaviour serves the trees as a defence against the attacks of intruders, and by inhaling the forest air enriched with the mentioned chemical compounds, it also helps the human body in the fight against diseases.

Immediately after being in the forest, the level of NK cells in our body increases significantly. But over time, it drops again, and it's necessary to repeat the visit in order to regularly enrich our immune system. Therefore, Dr Qing Li suggests a long stay in the forest at least once a month. During the winter months, it's recommended to stay in evergreen forests, because their needles are actually leaves and have the same role as the leaves of deciduous trees. And the same benefits.

If you're wondering how to do forest bathing properly, you will be delighted by the simplicity of this procedure. There is really no goal except to be in the forest and breathe the forest air. The light movement will speed up the heart rate, but only a meditative walk is recommended, not a demanding mountaineering endeavour because, as the name suggests, a forest bath should be relaxing.

Therefore, the Educational trail in the dense forest along the Drava River in Varaždin is an ideal place to dive into the forest and breathe its rich air. The trail starts at the Drava pools and upon entering the forest, you will embark on an undemanding circular path of such lush greenery that you might get the impression of being in a remote (but still well-trodden) jungle. Along the way, you will occasionally come across boards with stories about the plants and animals of this area, and you will surely be delighted by the balcony above the wetland that gives a completely new view of this kingdom of chlorophyll.

At a normal pace, the walk lasts about 45 minutes, but as true "forest bathers," you will definitely want to stay longer. Of course, the best time to explore this trail is summer, but you should also keep in mind the mosquitoes, which are not as numerous at the moment, but are persistent as usual. Just don't let the smell of insect spray completely cover the smell of this rich forest space—long sleeves are a better option for more effective forest bathing.