Thermal Baths

Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria

Adults-only thermal baths in Bad Wörishofen with palm-house pools, mineral pools and saunas; day passes available, minimum age 16.

Taupo, Waikato

Adults-only geothermal pool complex in Taupo with five heated pools and a cold plunge, open daily noon to 9pm, no time limit.

Chaves, Norte

Thermal baths complex in Chaves, Portugal, built around natural hot springs, with hydrotherapy, sauna, steam room and massage on a day-pass basis.

Merano, Trentino-South Tyrol

Central thermal bath complex in Merano with 25 pools, a sauna world, thermal park and medical spa area, open daily year-round with walk-in day passes.

Portorož, Coastal-Karst

Thermal baths and seawater pools in Portorož, open daily 7am–9pm with walk-in day passes and a large sauna park.

Tuscany

A five-star resort in the Tuscan countryside built around a natural thermal spring, with day passes from €39 for outdoor thermal pools, hydromassage circuits

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Historic 1924 thermal bathhouse inside the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, offering mineral baths, sauna and massage, with walk-ins welcome.

Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Medical thermal baths in Aix-les-Bains treating respiratory and oral mucosal conditions with sulfur-rich water, mostly through prescribed multi-day cures.

Spa, Liège

Thermal baths in the town of Spa, Belgium, fed by natural mineral water, with saunas, hammams and separate textile and naturist relaxation areas.

Vals, Grisons

Peter Zumthor's quartzite thermal baths in Vals, built into the mountain, open to day visitors as well as hotel guests.

Hévíz, Zala

A natural thermal lake and medical spa in Hévíz, Hungary, offering mud and weight baths, massage and physiotherapy, open daily 9:00–18:30.

Berlin

A saltwater thermal pool under a concrete dome near Berlin's Tempelhofer Feld, with sauna, steam room and occasional DJ nights.

New York City, New York

Thermal bath circuit and massages in a restored 1883 Tribeca textile factory, with a skylit tepidarium and candlelit thermal pools; reservation required.

Băile Felix, Bihor

Strand Apollo-Felix is a year-round thermal pool complex in Băile Felix, Romania, with indoor and outdoor pools open daily from 8am to 8pm.

Vichy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Adults-only thermal baths in Vichy using the town's mineral spring water, with a hydrotherapy circuit and thermal pool, booking required.

Leukerbad, Valais

Thermal baths inside a 19th-century hotel in Leukerbad, Valais, with mineral-rich pools open daily from 9am to 8pm.

Băile Felix, Bihor

A thermal baths complex in Băile Felix with outdoor and indoor pools, open daily with walk-in access and no membership required.

Bad Ragaz, St. Gallen

Hotel resort spa in Bad Ragaz built around the valley's 36.5°C thermal water, with saunas, pools and treatments open to overnight guests.

Buxton, England

A hotel spa built into Buxton's historic Crescent, centred on a thermal pool, hydrotherapy circuit and salt room, open to hotel guests only.

Bad Blumau, Styria

Rogner Bad Blumau is a Hundertwasser-designed thermal resort in Styria with geothermal pools, outdoor baths and hotel-guest-only access.