These Swiss Hot Springs Will Help You Unwind Like Nowhere Else

Hot springs in Switzerland: Hürlimann Bad & Spa Zürich

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hürlimannbad & Spa Zürich (@huerlimannbad)

Hürlimann Bad & Spa are the most urban hot springs on this list, being located in the center of Zurich. The Hürlimann Spa has vaults below that date back centuries, where you can enjoy ancient Roman bath rituals, reminiscent of those used by soldiers to relax their tired muscles long ago. Or you can head to the roof, where you can soak in mineral-rich waters while taking in views of the city and the Alps.

While you can book spa treatments like massages ahead of time, the mineral springs are not available for advanced reservations. They are open every day from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and the best thing to do is to check the “Current Occupancy” link on the official website’s home page to see how crowded the pools below or the rooftops thermal baths are. Admission to the baths is CHF 39 ($42), with additional fees for spa treatments.

Address: Brandschenkestrasse 150, 8002 Zurich

Hot springs in Switzerland: FORTYSEVEN Thermal Spa, Baden

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FORTYSEVEN° Wellness-Therme (@fortysevenbaden)

Baden, Switzerland, was one of the places those Roman soldiers first went — since it has the most mineral-rich springs in the country, and a whopping 18 of them at that. The waters at Baden are rich in sulfur, which is said to heal skin conditions and relieve sore muscles. Today, you can choose from several locations in Baden to experience these waters for yourself.

One of the newer places in Baden is FORTYSEVEN, an architecturally appealing spa perched over the Limmat River. Here the natural hot springs are a tingly 117 degrees Fahrenheit — or 47 degrees Celsius, the source of the spa’s name. You can enjoy these hot waters in both indoor and outdoor pools, followed by some time in the sauna.

It’s at this point that we need to warn you that, while you wear swimsuits to enter the hot spring pools, saunas and steam rooms in Switzerland are generally entered in the buff. In fact, entering a sauna with naked people while you’re wearing a swimsuit is considered impolite (voyeuristic, even). If this is a problem for you, FORTYSEVEN offers saunas with swimsuits or no swimsuits, as well as a ladies-only saunas. Admission is CHF 39 ($42) weekdays and CHF 42 ($45) on weekends.

Address: Grosse Bäder 1, 5400 Baden

Hot springs in Switzerland: Leukerbad-Therme, Leukerbad

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leukerbad (@leukerbad365)

If you’re traveling to Switzerland with kids, Leukerbad-Therme is the place to turn them on to the virtues of mineral springs, since Leukerbad has slides, as well as a children’s pool and a kiddie pool. But Leukerbad-Therme has a lot more than elaborate pool slides. It has ten differently styled thermal pools in all, varying in temperature from almost cool to quite hot. Adults will appreciate places like its stone grotto with very minerally water and warm temperatures that will really make you sweat. Many of the pools have jets to massage muscles.

You’ll also find an assortment of saunas and steam rooms that you must enter naked. At Leukerbad, that is the rule. If you aren’t comfortable with that, stick to the pools, where you can wear your bathing suit. If you only want to experience the thermal baths, it’s CHF 28 ($30) for three hours, or CHF 35 ($38) for the entire day. The steam and sauna rooms, which are normally included at other places, are an additional CHF 10 ($11). You could also opt just for the saunas for CHF 28 ($20) — but why would you pass on these baths?

Address: Zentrum 1, 6356 Rigi Kaltbad

Hot springs in Switzerland: Walliser Alpentherme & Spa, Leukerbad

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by thermalhotels_alpentherme (@thermalhotels_alpentherme)

Also in Leukerbad, you’ll find the Walliser Alpentherme, which is right in the mountains. The indoor and outdoor pools are all fed by thermal springs. If you aren’t traveling with kids, the pools here may be more your speed — there are no colorful slides. Instead, you’ll just have jaw dropping views of mountain peaks. Prices start at CHF 33 ($36).

Address: Dorfplatz 1, 3954 Leukerbad

Hot springs in Switzerland: Mineralbad & Spa, Samedan

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mineralbad & Spa Samedan (@mineralbadsamedan)

As we noted above, St. Moritz was a destination for its hot springs long before it was a ski resort. Samedan is a town just outside of St. Moritz, and its spa is a coveted destination both in summer and in winter, when skiers come to rest their weary legs in the mineral waters. And the waters here are perfect for that, seeing as they are high in sulfur and come up from the ground 115 feet below.

Operated by the same group that runs Zurich’s Hürlimann spa, the Samedan Mineral pools and spa are also located in the heart of town. You can wander through the different indoor pools, in rooms decorated with different tile patterns, and then finish up at the rooftop pool with its Alpine vistas. A day pass here is CHF 39 ($45).

Address: San Bastiaun 3, 7503 Samedan

Hot springs in Switzerland: Mineralbad & Spa, Rigi Kaltbad, Lucerne

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mineralbad & Spa Rigi Kaltbad (@mineralbadrigikaltbad)

For some of the best views from any mineral springs, come to Rigi Kaltbad — located on Mount Rigi, offering vistas of the Alps and of Lake Lucerne, a serpentine body of water that is one of the most photogenic lakes in a country full of them. You’ll enjoy views through the windows of indoor pools and from outdoor pools as well.

The term “Kaltbad” in the name means “cold pool,” as the waters at Rigi were long known to be mineral-rich, but not very hot. Today, though, the water is heated by burning locally sourced wood. There are also steam rooms, an herbal spa, and indoor and outdoor relaxation areas. A pass to all of these steam baths and pools is CHF 38 ($41).
Address: Zentrum 1, 6356 Rigi Kaltbad

Hot springs in Switzerland: Termali Salini & Spa, Locarno

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Termali Salini & Spa Locarno (@termalisalinilocarno)

If some of Switzerland’s springs are rich in sulfur, the ones here are naturally high in salt — fed by the rock salt deposits that seep down from within the mountains. In addition to several indoor and outdoor pools, all at different temperatures, the Termali Salini & Spa also features Turkish baths and the option to indulge in massages or other treatments. There is even a regular swimming pool where you can get your exercise in before spending the next few hours just luxuriating.

Besides the chance to enjoy a natural saltwater pool nowhere near the ocean, two other things make this spa special. One is the breathtaking views of the Lago Maggiore on which the town of Locarno is located, and the other is being in the only Italian region of Switzerland, where the vibe is just a little more chill. A pass for the day is about CHF 35 ($38).

Address: Via G. Respini 7, 6600 Locarno

Hot springs in Switzerland: Tamina Therme, Bad Ragaz

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamina Therme (@taminatherme)

The Tamina Therme spa warms visitors with 98-degree waters from the Pfäfers spring, whose healing properties were first documented almost 800 years ago. Today, the Tamina Therme public spa has a beautiful outdoor pool, as well as indoor spaces within its stunningly designed building — with massive ceilings and huge ovate windows. Lush greenery presents itself in summer, as does plenty of snow in winter, while beyond the garden lie the mountains. You’ll also find a series of attractive saunas, some made from marble, others from special Nordic wood. Spa treatments are also available, as are infusions with aromatherapy, meditative music, or other relaxation methods. A two-hour pass during the week is CHF 32 ($34.50), and CHF 39 ($42) on weekends.

Address: Hans Albrecht-Strasse, 7310 Bad Ragaz

Hot springs in Switzerland: Bogn Engiadina, Scuol

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bogn Engiadina Scuol (@bognengiadinascuol)

The Scuol area is packed with mineral springs that have been drawing visitors for centuries. The outdoor mineral pool provides you with views of jagged mountain peaks while inside you can enjoy a brine pool, an indoor jacuzzi pool, and grottos that provide cold and hot water plunges. You can also visit the solarium, steam rooms, dry saunas, and even a sauna where you are allowed to wear your swimsuit.

The name Bogn Engiadina means Engadine Pools, referring to the Engadine area where they are located, in Romansh. Romansh is a Romance language that is Switzerland’s fourth official language (along with German, French, and Italian) and which is the main tongue of this region. Scuol is a stunning area right next to Switzerland’s only national park. So, after all of these soothing soaks, you can keep the relaxed state of mind going with some forest bathing in the Swiss National Park in the Engadine. A three-hour pass is about CHF34 ($37) and a day pass is CHF48 ($52).

Address: Via dals Bogns 323, 7550 Scuol