Arnold Rikli

Arnold Rikli (13 February 1823 – 30 April 1906) was a Swiss naturopath renowned for his natural healing regimens and his pivotal role in establishing Bled, Slovenia as a prominent health tourism destination in the late 19th century. He was also an advocate of the Lebensreform ("life reform") social movement.

History Rikli was born into a wealthy Swiss family as the fourth of ten children. His father, a dye works factory owner and politically active figure, intended his sons to inherit both his business acumen and sense of civic responsibility. Rikli married early, at the age of 21, a year before relocating to Seebach near Spittal, Austria, where he and his brothers Karl and Rudolf established a leather dyeing factory. He designed numerous walking paths of varying difficulty around Bled, including one that led to Straža Hill—an area that, until recently, operated as a winter ski slope and, in summer, hosted a walking trail, fitness path, and a toboggan run built along the slope itself.

For many years, it was assumed that Rikli did not speak Slovene. However, researcher Vojko Zavodnik disproved this in his study In the Footsteps of Arnold Rikli, which uncovered handwritten instructions Rikli had issued to his employees in Slovene. As most of his clientele came from German-speaking regions, Rikli predominantly used German in public communication, and signage throughout the health resort was likewise in German. Local residents referred to him as "Švajcar" (the Swiss) and "the Sun Doctor".

Rikli established baths, walking and hiking paths, and housing facilities in Bled to support his therapeutic philosophy. In 1895, he constructed a villa and baths in the Swiss architectural style, along with a hospital featuring his own examination office. As word of his activities spread across Europe, a larger swimming area with promenade was added in 1899 to accommodate growing interest. Beyond those seeking healing, Bled began attracting visitors who wished to spend their holidays in a clean and health-conscious environment. The number of arrivals increased markedly after the railway station opened in Lesce in 1870.

In 1903, Bled was awarded a gold medal at an international exposition for healing destinations in Vienna, and by 1906, it had been recognised as one of the most prominent tourist resorts in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following Rikli's death in 1906, the health complex—which comprised a stately spa facility, a modest treatment salon (Kursalon), numerous air huts, and several designated air parks—entered a period of decline.

Arnold Rikli Award Since 2016, the Jörg Wolff Foundation in Germany has awarded annually the Arnold Rikli Prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, for photobiological research about the human organism; the award is under the patronage of the European Society for Photobiology (ESP).

From 1989 until its dissolution in 2005, the Light Symposium Foundation in Atlanta (USA) awarded the Arnold Rikli Prize, recognising research into the biological effects of light on humans.