The most beautiful thermal baths

Relax like an emperor: Charlemagne himself appreciated the soothing warmth of Aachen’s thermal spring water and, as a result, declared the city his favourite imperial residence at the end of the 8th century. The Carolus-Therme continues this long tradition of bathing in Aachen and creates new favourite destinations for wellness travellers. This is because its water feeds the modern spa complex – with its thermal baths, saunas and beauty facilities – directly from the mineral-rich Rosenquelle, one of the hottest thermal springs north of the Alps. It does you good, relaxes you and rejuvenates you. Or as the Romans say: ‘Sanus per aquam’.

Wellness with a view: Whilst there is a bustle of activity all around Cologne Cathedral, guests at the Claudius Therme enjoy the relaxed, ‘state-approved’ tranquillity – whilst still having the city’s landmark on the Rhine in full view at all times. Set in the heart of the Rheinpark, the spacious spa complex invites you to spend a few hours unwinding – a experience that feels like a holiday from the very first moment. Whether indoors or outdoors, in the whirlpool, the Kneipp facility or the hot-and-cold grotto: across a total of twelve pools, eight saunas and three steam baths, the water from the natural thermal mineral spring unleashes its healing power and soothing effects.

Selamat Datang to the Teutoburg Forest: the Bali Therme in Bad Oeynhausen welcomes its guests with the enchanting scents of Asia, warm colours and fine woods. Just a stone’s throw from the spa gardens, you can immerse yourself for a few hours in the fascinating world of Indonesia and enjoy Asian serenity through centuries-old sauna rituals featuring Persian rose, birch twigs and singing bowls. Precious Balinese sculptures and carvings create the stylish ambience of the bathing area. The natural, warm thermal water, from which guests bathe in several outdoor and indoor pools, originates from the warm Alexander von Humboldt spring. For 39,000 years, it has flowed underground through limestone and dolomite rock, naturally enriching it with minerals.

At the Börde Therme Bad Sassendorf in the Sauerland, a break here feels almost like a day by the sea. This is because the huge graduation tower, where brine trickles over blackthorn, provides a fresh breeze filled with salty air. Inside, the integrated graduation tower sauna offers relaxation and a lovely view over the spa gardens, as well as a sun terrace, a relaxation room and a graduation tower bathrobe walkway.

Brine pools and a sea salt grotto are further places to breathe deeply, let go and recharge – without having to travel to the seaside at all.

A magical ‘me-time’ experience: at the Mediterana in Bergisch Gladbach, guests are immersed in the distant world of *One Thousand and One Nights*. Oriental architecture in Indian and Moorish styles, together with the colourful ambience and scents of Arabia, enchant the senses here. The wellness programme, based on ancient wisdom, includes not only the extensive aquatic world but also massages, treatments and traditional hammam ceremonies. Warm marble caresses the skin here, leaving it feeling as soft as silk even after a visit to the Himalayan salt cave or the Rose Temple. The water in the relaxation, brine and sulphur baths comes from the spa’s own low-sodium mineral spring, situated some 100 metres below the spa in the Bergisches Land region.

Saltwater and weightlessness: a visit to the VitaSol Therme in Bad Salzuflen feels just like a day at the seaside. This spa resort in the Teutoburg Forest is renowned for its mineral-rich brine, which provides a fresh breeze and a sense of lightness both at the three imposing graduation towers in the spa gardens and within the bathing area itself. The clean air and relaxed atmosphere invite you to simply let yourself drift – in the truest sense of the word – in the pools of varying temperatures filled with Bad Salzuflen thermal brine. After all, the brine content in the Intensive Brine Pool is as high as twelve per cent: it feels as though you’re floating in the water! A sense of well-being is also provided by a glass-enclosed brine inhalation chamber with its own miniature graduation tower, the lake and forest saunas, and the brightly coloured ‘rain cloud’ from which tropical rain pours down. For those who find a day (by the sea) enough: the opening of a dedicated spa hotel is planned for 2027.