Sliding into a bathtub after a long day is one of life’s little luxuries – but there’s nothing quite like the restorative high from a dip in a natural thermal pool.
From Iceland’s renowned Blue Lagoon to ancient sulfur streams in the Pyrenees, here’s a rundown of Europe’s best hot springs and thermal pools if you’re looking for a proper soak this winter (or year-round if you like).
1. Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The vibe: See it to believe it
No list would be complete without it perhaps Europe’s most famous geothermal pool. Emerging from rugged lava fields 30 minutes from Reykjavík, this vivid turquoise pool could easily be mistaken an otherworldly Icelandic natural landscape – but it’s actually a man-made complex fed by mineral-rich water recycled by the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant. Tubs of white, silica-rich geothermal mud are available for guests to apply their own face masks.
2. Thermae Bath Spa, Bath, England
The vibe: Romantic bathing in historic Bath
The healing waters of Britain’s only thermal spring have been enjoyed by everyone from the Celts to the Saxons since their discovery by legendary British Prince Bladud around 863 BCE. Tapping the spring that feeds the city’s historic Roman Baths museum, Thermae Bath Spa boasts herbal steam rooms and four thermal baths including an open-air rooftop pool with romantic views of Bath Abbey.
3. Hévíz Lake, Hévíz, Hungary
The vibe: Get back to nature
Dotted with water lilies and surrounded by manicured parks, pretty Hévíz boasts the world’s largest biologically active, naturally medicinal lake. Its on-site spa complex is convenient for wintertime visits, and since the lake’s natural water temperature never dips below 24°C (75°F) – getting up to 38°C (100°F) during summer – you can bathe outdoors year-round.
4. Bains de Dorres, Pyrenees, France
The vibe: Views for days
Offering a relaxing alternative to France’s more-serious medicinal bathhouses, this small sulfurous thermal spring, sitting pretty at 1450m (4757ft) in altitude, allows guests to soak at 37–40°C (99–104°F) with gorgeous views of the rolling valleys below. Just a stone’s throw from the Spanish border, Bains de Dorres dates back to Roman times.
5. Széchenyi Baths, Budapest, Hungary
The vibe: Room for everyone
Budapest is known as the City of Spas, with many of its 16th- and 17th-century Turkish baths still in use today. With a whopping 18 different pools and a further 10 saunas and steam chambers, the grand, neo-baroque Széchenyi Baths complex in Budapest’s City Park is one of the capital’s top attractions.
6. 7132 Therme Vals, Switzerland
The vibe: Alpine architectural chic
This minimalist spa complex at 7132 Therme Vals is so trendy that devotees think nothing of the 200km (124-mile) journey from Zürich to bathe in its hydrotherapy pools. Night bathing is offered to guests who bed down at Therme Val’s adjoining hotel, which has been remodeled by the spa’s award-winning Swiss architect, Peter Zumthor.
7. Palia Kameni, Santorini, Greece
The vibe: Nature’s mud wrap
The copper-hued springs on this volcanic island in the Santorini caldera are known for their therapeutic sulphuric mud. “Old Burnt” in Greek, Palia Kameni is accessed by boat from Santorini, with visitors required to swim from a moored vessel to reach the main seaside spring. Avoid peak tourist season for the most authentic bathing session.
8. Hammam Al Ándalus, Granada, Spain
The vibe: Ancient Arabic opulence
Thought to be the first traditional hammam reopened in Europe after Spain’s Christian rulers closed Andalucía’s Moorish bathhouses in the 16th century, the richly decorated Hammam Al Ándalus offers a truly opulent thermal bathing experience.
9. Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme, Wiesbaden, Germany
The vibe: Lavish country escape
Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013, the art nouveau Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme complex in Wiesbaden brims with old-world charm. Its aquatic healing heritage stretches back further still, with the spa built on the site of an old Roman sauna. Alongside its restorative thermal pools, the spa features a Russian steam bath and classic Finnish sauna, to boot.
10. Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Czech Republic
The vibe: Soothing, from the inside out
Discovered by Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded this west Bohemia spa town in the 14th century, Karlovy Vary’s mineral waters are thought to have external and internal healing properties. Many hotels, such as the Grandhotel Pupp (reportedly the inspiration for Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel), operate traditional bathing spas, but it’s possible to drink from the springs at several of the town’s historic colonnade complexes.
11. Laugarvatn Fontana, Iceland
The vibe: Blissful countryside seclusion
Located 77km (48 miles) from Reykjavík, the bathing pools at Laugarvatn Fontana open onto the picturesque geothermal Lake Laugarvatn, the sands of which are thought to soothe arthritic joints. Built directly over a bubbling spring, the complex’s outdoor mineral pools are particularly alluring, especially when the aurora borealis streaks across the night sky overhead.
12. Pantelleria, Italy
The vibe: One for the fashion set
This tiny volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily (and not far from Tunisia) houses a series of natural, non-commercial pools. Among the most popular is the harbor at Gadir, where locals (notably Giorgio Armani, who owns a holiday home here) head to bathe in the restorative waters, said to soothe rheumatism and arthritis.
13. Pamukkale, Denizli Province, Turkey
The vibe: The ultimate natural phenomenon
Translating to “cotton castle” in Turkish, Pamukkale is a stunning natural pool complex that has been used for centuries to ease a range of physical maladies. Created by the build-up of carbonate minerals, the terraced hot springs fringe the ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis.
14. Terme di Saturnia, Tuscany, Italy
The vibe: The stuff of Tuscan dreams
A truly idyllic Tuscan escape, Terme di Saturnia is one of Italy’s premier thermal spa resorts. Replenished every four hours by a volcanic spring, Terme’s main pool hovers at a balmy 37.5°C (99.5°F). Also available to non-guests, the resort offers special thermal mud treatments alongside a full med-spa menu.
15. Château des Thermes, Chaudfontaine, Belgium
The vibe: One-stop indulgence
Using Belgium’s hottest thermal spring, Château des Thermes near Liège in the Vesdre Valley houses an outdoor thermal pool, two Turkish baths, a caldarium and a salt cabin, the last used to soothe a range of skin conditions. Part of a hotel, this swish day spa also boasts an excellent French restaurant.
16. Caldea, Andorra
The vibe: For the après-ski crowd
With over 6000 sq m (64,500 sq ft) of pools, the Andorran capital’s cavernous Caldea spa, fed from a sulfur-rich spring, is the largest thermal spa complex in southern Europe. It’s a good choice for those who enjoy socializing while stewing, with the spa hosting popular cocktail nights. Those seeking a more intimate experience should try one of the city’s boutique thermal spa hotels, such as the Roc Blanc – perfect for easing post-ski aches (or sweating out hangovers).
17. Rogner Bad Blumau, Styria, Austria
The vibe: As if Middle Earth had a day spa
An artistic, aquatic Babylon, this ultra-quirky southeast Austrian spa bears the mark of eccentric Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Fed by two curative springs, Rogner Bad Blumau boasts a Dead Sea salt grotto alongside its pools, saunas and treatment rooms. Replete with rooftop meadows, its attached hotel resembles a futuristic Hobbiton.
18. Klevevška Toplica, Klevevž, Slovenia
The vibe: A dip in the Slovenian wilds
With the water temperature bubbling just below the 20°C (68°F) mark, the tiny outdoor spring in the Slovenian village of Klevevž attracts hardier types than the country’s glitzy spas. But bathers who make the pilgrimage here will be rewarded with a soak in a wonderfully serene forest setting, with medieval Klevevž Castle visible in the distance. For something a little more refined, Dolenjske Toplice, one of Slovenia’s oldest and prettiest spa towns, is a short drive away.
19. Aqua Dome, Tyrol, Austria
The vibe: Futuristic-style relaxation
Discovered in the 16th century, Längenfeld’s geothermal spring all but dried up in the 1960s. Redrilled in 1997, it now feeds this Tyrol town’s veritable alpine playground, which features three “levitating” outdoor pools. For romantics, there’s moonlight bathing at the Aqua Dome on Fridays.
20. Piestany, Slovakia
The vibe: Grand spa hotels a go-go
It’s all about the mud at Piestany, Slovakia’s largest spa town. Attached to various spa hotels, most of the thermal pools in this western Slovakian village, 86km (52 miles) from Bratislava, are contained in the lush surroundings of a wooded park known as “spa island.”
