The most beautiful thermal baths in NRW

Relax like the emperor: Charlemagne already appreciated the soothing warmth of Aachen's thermal spring water and declared the city his favourite palace at the end of the 8th century. The Carolus-Therme continues this long bathing tradition in Aachen and creates new favourite places for wellness travellers. The water feeds the modern bathing landscape with thermal, sauna and beauty world directly from the mineral-rich rose spring, which is one of the hottest thermal springs north of the Alps. It does you good, relaxes and regenerates. Or as the Romans say: "Sanus per aquam".

Wellness with a view: while there is a lot going on around Cologne Cathedral, guests at the Claudius Therme enjoy the relaxed, "state-recognised" tranquillity - and still always have the city 's landmark on the Rhine in view. In the middle of the Rhine Park, the extensive bathing landscape invites you to spend a few hours relaxing, which feels like a holiday from the very first moment. Whether indoors or outdoors, in the whirlpool, the Kneipp facility or the hot-cold grotto, the water from the natural thermal mineral spring unfolds its healing power and beneficial effects in a total of twelve pools, eight saunas and three steam baths.

Fairytale me-time: guests at the Mediterana in Bergisch Gladbach immerse themselves in the faraway world of 1001 Nights. Oriental architecture in Indian and Moorish style as well as the colourful flair and scents of Arabia enchant the senses here. The wellness programme, which is based on ancient knowledge, includes massages and treatments as well as traditional hammam ceremonies in addition to the large water world. Warm marble caresses the skin here, which also feels velvety soft after a visit to the Himalayan salt gallery or the Rose Temple. The water in the relaxation, brine and sulphur baths comes from the spa's own low-sodium mineral water spring at a depth of around 100 metres below the Bergisches Land spa.

Selamat Datang in the Teutoburg Forest: the Bali Therme in Bad Oeynhausen welcomes its guests with the beguiling scents of Asia, warm colours and fine woods. In the immediate vicinity of the spa gardens, you can immerse yourself for a few hours in the fascinating world of Indonesia and enjoy the Asian serenity of centuries-old sauna rituals with Persian roses, birch branches and singing bowls. Precious Balinese sculptures and carvings add to the stylish ambience of the bathing area. The natural, warm thermal water, in which guests bathe in several indoor and outdoor pools, comes from the warm Alexander von Humboldt spring. For 39,000 years, it has flowed underground through limestone and dolomite rock and has thus been naturally enriched with minerals.

Salt water and weightlessness: a visit to the VitaSol Therme in Bad Salzuflen feels like a day at the seaside. The spa in the Teutoburg Forest is known for its mineral-rich brine, which provides a fresh breeze and a special lightness both at the three impressive graduation towers in the spa gardens and inside the bathing area. The pure air and relaxed atmosphere invite you to simply let yourself drift - in the truest sense of the word - in the pools with Salzufler thermal brine at different temperatures. The brine content in the intensive brine pool is up to twelve per cent: it feels like you're floating in water! A glass brine inhalation room with its own miniature graduation tower, the lake and forest saunas and the brightly coloured rain cloud, from which tropical rain pours down, also ensure a sense of well-being. If one day (by the sea) is enough for you: the opening of a separate spa hotel is planned for 2027.