In the Winter issue of BN Magazine readers will discover a large feature on European spas, where the default - unlike in this country - is nudity. Hurrah! Here is an extract, written by regular spa-ers, and BN members, Derek and Karen.
Our planned two-week holiday at Grottamiranda in Puglia, Italy was postponed from 2020 to 2021, and then again to 2022 owing to COVID restrictions, but, finally, we were able to visit this June. Having retired early at Easter, we decided that rather than flying, we would take advantage of not having to rush back to work and turn our holiday into a road trip, sightseeing and visiting some spas on the way down, and collecting some wine on the way home.
After a brief stop in Reims, we arrived in Switzerland for city breaks in Bern, Lucerne and Zurich (don’t miss the Lindt factory tour with unlimited chocolate tasting), all beautiful old towns to walk around. Bern has the great free outdoor textile Marzili Lido complex, which apparently has separate men’s and women’s sections for nude sunbathing, although we didn’t look for these, being a couple; and strong swimmers can brave the river Aare and float downstream round the city in the strong current. Close to Marzili we visited the Hammam & Spa Oktogon which gets its name from being built on the octagonal base of the City’s first gas boiler dating back to the 19th Century – it has a central pool with a 13 metre domed roof and galleries for rest areas in an Arabic style.
It has a curious set up from a Naturist perspective in that swimsuits are not allowed, but you are required to wear a hammam sheet in the steam room, pool and relaxation areas, though not in the areas for scrubbing, soaping or rasul, and in practice the sheets float up in the pool to reveal all anyway. The experience follows a numbered route that takes you through a traditional hammam ritual, starting with a herbal steam room to open the pores, then a room to scrub your skin with a Kese exfoliating glove; relaxation in the pool; a second, hotter, herbal steam room; a room to soap your body; and finishing by relaxing on hot stones. We paid extra for the treatment to follow this where you cover your body with the soothing mud, then relax in a steam bath, before showers above wash you clean. Massages are also available. Finally there is a rest area with free tea and water, plus a pricey delicatessen for light bites. Overall a very relaxing experience.
When we stayed in Lucerne we took a day trip via a boat across the lake to Weggis and then a cable car (expensive) to the top of Mount Rigi and the Mineralbad & Spa Rigi Kaltbad. The spa is a stunning, modern architectural textile pool complex, with an outdoor infinity pool that has an amazing alpine vista, and a downstairs spa area, but unfortunately only the sauna is Naturist, not the steam room, flotation pool or relaxation area. We booked a package which included a couple’s massage. Whilst limited from a Naturist perspective, we felt this was well worth the visit when taking into account the journey and the view.
After leaving Zurich, we crossed over into Germany, driving through the Black Forest to Baden Baden. From a previous visit to the area, we recommend a side trip to Badenparadies Schwarzwald at Lake Titisee, with 6 pools and 12 saunas.
The highlight of Baden Baden is its two spas – the famous Friedrichsbad and Caracalla Therme. Friedrichsbad is a Naturist Roman-Irish bath, following a 17-stage ritual where your body is gently warmed-up, soaped, brushed (soap and brushing currently suspended due to COVID restrictions), steamed and then gently cooled-down in pools, the highlight of which is the beautiful central domed pool room; before you dry off, apply body lotion and move to the rest area for tea, all of which takes 2 – 3 hours. This all takes place in an iconic Renaissance style building, with two symmetrical wings containing the baths, meeting in the central pool. Whilst there used to be certain days when men and women were separated, one wing for each, although still with the ability to join together in the middle, when we visited one wing was closed and currently all sessions are mixed.
By contrast, a three minute walk away is Caracalla Therme, a modern, textile swimming pool complex with a large Naturist spa, for an additional cost, which has a good range of saunas and steam rooms, a jacuzzi, rest areas and an outdoor sunbathing terrace. The spa area is accessed via a spiral staircase from the main pool area and as you enter there is shelving for you to leave your swimsuits. Baden Baden should be on the Naturist spa bucket list for the opportunity to experience these two completely different spas.
We then travelled North of Munich to Therme Erding which claims to be the largest sauna paradise in the world, with multiple indoor and outside saunas, ranging from the intimate Rose Pavilion that seats about eight, through to huge saunas like the Russian Banja that can seat over 100. Each of the saunas has a different theme, with a full aufguss programme, perhaps the most unusual being the sauna with a bread oven. There are also steam rooms, together with a huge indoor pool, with swim-up bars open all day, that extends into an outdoor pool and lazy river. Erding can also be used as a base to explore the local area which has plenty to offer – on this or previous trips we have visited Munich; Dachau; Regensburg on the Danube, a UNESCO world heritage medieval city, where we had lunch in Wurstkuchl, the world’s oldest restaurant which has been serving sausages since 1146; and two of “mad” King Ludwig’s famous castles - Herrenchiemsee New Palace, modelled on Versailles and Neuschwanstein Castle, which featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Suitably refreshed, we then began the rest of our journey down to Puglia, driving through Austria and staying at Hotel Gruenauerhof in Wals near Salzburg, which has a modern Naturist spa with two saunas, a steam room, relaxation area and sun terrace above its textile pool, and its own farm ensuring excellent produce for its restaurant.
Image credit: Carolus Thermen