If your idea of wellness is spending an hour at the spa before rushing back to real life, Germany’s Black Forest might completely change your perspective. Here, entire towns revolve around thermal bathing, where locals and visitors spend hours moving between mineral pools, saunas and steam rooms that have been drawing travelers for centuries.
The region’s mineral-rich thermal waters were first discovered by Romans seeking “health through water” nearly 2,000 years ago. When soaking in the naturally heated springs eased their aches and pains, they recognized they had stumbled upon something special. That ancient tradition lives on today in the Black Forest’s historic spa towns, where bathing is as much a cultural ritual as it is a way to unwind.
As wellness travel continues to boom, travelers are looking beyond massages and facials for experiences rooted in local culture. Germany’s historic spa towns offer exactly that—centuries-old bathing traditions, stunning architecture and enough thermal pools to justify planning an entire vacation around relaxation.
After soaking my way through the region, I quickly realized no two spa towns offer quite the same experience. These three Black Forest spa towns each put their own spin on Germany’s centuries-old bathing culture—and all are worth adding to your itinerary.
Baden-Baden: The iconic spa town
Baden-Baden, a famous resort town in Southwest Germany.
(Daniela Baumann via Getty Images)
Few resort towns have a spa scene as legendary as that of Baden-Baden. People have been taking the waters in this town, nestled on the outskirts of the Black Forest, for thousands of years.
Visitors carry on this ancient tradition at the renowned Friedrichsbad spa and see where it all began at the well-preserved Roman bath ruins. It’s this distinctive part of the local culture that earned Baden-Baden UNESCO World Heritage Site status through the Great Spas of Europe.
While you might expect a town focused on relaxation to be subdued, Baden-Baden is anything but. The “Summer Capital of Europe” brims with bustling beer gardens, a lively casino and outdoor dancing on midsummer eves—all part of the charm of this endlessly appealing destination.
Spa scene
Historic thermal pool at Friedrichsbad spa in Baden-Baden, Germany.
(Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH)
There are spas… and then there’s the Friedrichsbad, a therapeutic mecca that combines Irish and Roman bathing traditions. In fact, this legendary spa is exactly what drew me to this part of Germany to begin with. The 150-year-old institution will make you forget about the rest of the world with its stunning architecture. Think: Marble pools beneath towering domed ceilings, hot baths flanked by classic Roman sculptures and relaxation rooms with elaborate frescoes. The atmosphere was so serene and beautiful that it actually made me appreciate my own body more, as though it were another piece of living art in the space.
The ambience only accounts for some of the relaxing effects of this special place, though. The Friedrichsbad boasts a circuit of 17 bathing stations to pamper you from head to toe.
After getting into your birthday suit and showering, you’ll sweat it out in saunas, brave a frigid cold plunge, get exfoliated by staffer brandishing a brush and soap, soak in steam rooms and whirlpool baths and savor an eight-minute cream massage. Toward the end of your experience, a burly attendant will wrap you in warm blankets and tuck you in to one of the soft beds in the circular relaxation room, where you’ll have the best nap of your life.
While the Friedrichsbad will transport you back in time, the nearby Caracalla Spa gives travelers a chance to experience the modern take on thermal bathing in Baden-Baden. The indoor-outdoor spa devotes most of its impressive real estate to pools and fountains filled with curative thermal spring water. Travelers can also enjoy a variety of saunas, steam rooms, hydrotherapy and waterfalls around the family-friendly facility.
Beyond the baths in Baden-Baden
There are plenty of other things to do in Baden-Baden besides taking long, hot baths. Spend your days strolling down Lichtentaler Allee, a pristine park and tree-lined avenue along the river Oos. Indulge in Black Forest gateau that’s (almost) too pretty to eat at the oldest cafe in the city, Café König.
Visit some of Baden-Baden’s well-reputed cultural institutions, like the Faberge Museum and its glittering exhibits, or the Museum Frieder Burda, which brims with contemporary art. Take a ride to the top of Merkur Mountain on the Merkur Funicular Railway—the longest and steepest of its kind in Germany. The mountain’s panoramic views extend over the Black Forest and even across the border into France on a clear day.
Elegant gaming room inside Casino Baden-Baden.
(Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH)
By night, make your way to the famous Casino Baden-Baden, where you can try your luck at classic games. Even if betting isn’t your thing, it’s worth swinging by for the sightseeing. The casino’s floor-to-ceiling oil paintings, massive chandeliers and royal purple and red carpets would have made Marie Antoinette feel right at home.
Where to stay in Baden-Baden
Guest room at Dorint Maison Messmer in Baden-Baden.
(Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH)
Centrally located and oozing character, Dorint Maison Messmer is a smart place to stay in Baden-Baden. Some of the rooms have balconies, where you can perch in the evening and watch passersby in the streets below, as well as open fireplaces and private saunas (just in case you haven’t gotten your fill of wellness at the spas around town!).
Plus, the hotel has its own glamorous spa with saunas covered in mosaics and a ritzy pool beneath a colorful glass dome.
Bad Wildbad: The prettiest thermal baths
You can find the prettiest thermal baths in Europe in Bad Wildbad, Germany.
(Joni Sweet)
The moment I stepped off the train in Bad Wildbad, I felt like I was immersed in a fairytale setting. The town is impossibly pretty, with flower-lined footbridges, boxy wooden buildings in pastel colors and expansive parks and gardens. While they’re often overshadowed by the more famous spas in Baden-Baden, Bad Wildbad’s thermal baths might be among the most alluring in all of Europe. You’ll easily adapt to the laid-back atmosphere in this German resort town, and you may even come to appreciate its unofficial muse, Gioachino Rossini—Bad Wildbad throws a festival for the Italian opera composer and his contemporaries every summer.
Spa scene
Art Nouveau style floods the Palais Thermal, Bad Wildbad’s premier bathing and sauna spa, and it’s truly glorious. The black-and-white-striped arches of the giant doorways and windows contrast the blushing pink walls. Romanesque statues add a heavy dose of elegance to perfectly symmetrical pools filled with turquoise water. Sunlight streams into the building through stained glass windows. And the geometrically patterned tile floors practically hypnotize anyone who looks at them. It’s hard to believe that the spa’s beautifully restored ground level, filled with pools and baths, is more than 170 years old. It somehow feels both contemporary and timeless all at once.
Indoor thermal pool at Palais Thermal in Bad Wildbad.
(Joni Sweet)
It would be a mistake to spend all your time on the lower level, though. The decidedly modern upstairs area at Palais Thermal features tons of saunas, steam rooms, a crystal therapy space, cold plunge pools and foot baths that will soothe your every bodily woe. The spa comes with a rooftop lounge with an outdoor pool and “panoramasauna,” where you can take in views of Black Forest from the heated wooden room. If it wasn’t for the risk of overheating, I could have spent all evening in this beautiful sauna.
Beyond the thermal baths in Bad Wildbad
See where the bathing culture of Bad Wildbad started inside the Forum König-Karls-Bad. The 19th-century building contains the original baths of the city, along with an antique fountain from which you can drink the town’s mineral-rich spring water. Then, get some nature therapy with a long stroll through the Spa Park. Points of interest in this verdant area include the quaint English Church, royal theater and a picturesque rose garden.
Climb the spiraling canopy walk in Bad Wildbad, Germany.
(Joni Sweet)
For more of the great outdoors in Bad Wildbad, take the funicular to Sommerberg. You can climb to the top of the spiraling canopy path, go forest bathing and walk across the 1,250-foot-long suspension bridge that dangles over the Enz valley. Pro tip: Don’t look down!
You can’t leave Bad Wildbad without picking up some souvenirs from Rossini’s Soap Factory. Its sweet shopkeepers make bars of moisturizing soap using essential oils and the thermal water of Bad Wildbad, so travelers can continue experiencing its healing properties long after they’ve gone back home.
Where to stay in Bad Wildbad
Guest room at Mokni’s Palais Hotel & Spa in Bad Wildbad.
(Joni Sweet)
If you want to maximize your time at Palais Thermal, book a stay at Mokni’s Palais Hotel & Spa. It offers guests access to the spa, which are conveniently located right next door. You can practically roll out of bed right into the thermal baths.
Mokni’s sunlight-drenched rooms prove to be restful places to take sanctuary, as well, with plush beds and cozy couches. Staff excel at providing friendly, attentive service throughout the hotel and its on-site restaurant.
Bad Urach: Hot springs for hikers
Hike to castle ruins, then hit the thermal baths in Bad Urach, Germany.
(Lutz Beste / 500px via Getty Images)
An easy day trip from Stuttgart, Bad Urach is a lovely destination for travelers eager to escape the big city and get a taste of Germany’s thermal bath culture. The mountain valley town’s cobblestoned streets and half-timbered houses look like the scene of a postcard, and you’ll feel instantly welcomed by its friendly Swabian culture. While technically outside of the Black Forest area, the destination has tons of nature to explore. Hike to Bad Urach’s castle ruins and waterfall, then restore your body at its extensive spa.
Spa scene
If you love saunas, you’re in for a treat at AlbThermen. The Bad Urach spa boasts nearly every type of sauna on the planet in its sprawling sauna world and garden.
Relax in rustic saunas and thermal baths at AlbThermen in Bad Urach, Germany.
(AlbThermen)
While it has traditional saunas in just about every temperature and humidity level you could imagine, the real highlight is its rustic saunas. You can watch a hot mineral stone get lifted and lowered into a copper pot filled with cold water in “Haslauer Steinbad,” a gently heated wooden space that feels like a family heirloom. Or, inhale the deeply relaxing scent of herbs and fir boughs steaming over a traditional oven in the “Brechelbad” sauna. These rustic sauna rituals were unlike anything I’d experienced elsewhere in Germany, and they ended up being one of the highlights of my trip.
After heating up in the saunas, chill out in AlbTherman’s beautiful thermal pools. The modern facilities contain both indoor and outdoor baths, along with cold plunge pools, waterfall showers, jetted hot tubs and more. You’ll feel like a new person once you leave this variety-packed spa.
Beyond the thermal baths in Bad Urach
Unwind on a hike to one of Bad Urach’s most popular attractions: the waterfalls. It takes about three hours at a leisurely pace, allowing you to enjoy the scenery in the Swabian Alb Biosphere Reserve.
Hike to waterfalls in Bad Urach, Germany.
(Smileus via Getty Images)
You can also make the easy, but steep trek to the ruins of the Hohenurach Castle. Considered to be “one of the biggest, mightiest and most important ruins in Southern Germany,” this attraction dates back to the 11th century and offers a glimpse at the history of this area. You can also get amazing views of the red-roofed houses that pepper the town below.
Where to stay in Bad Urach
You have a couple of options for accommodations. Many travelers choose to stay at a hotel in Stuttgart and take the hourlong train ride to and from the town on a day trip. Those who wish to spend the night in a hotel in Bad Urach should consider staying at the Bischoffs Hotel. Its historic building was once home to an old movie theater and brewery. The owners have converted the space into a chic modern hotel, complete with a sun terrace, spa and old-world hospitality.