Thermal Baths

Our family loves winter sports, but sometimes we need a warmer alternative. One of our favorite ways to warm up is in a thermal bath (Thermalbad in German). Thermal baths are heated pools (about 32-36°C) usually connected to a spa facility, often with water from underground springs. These are great in any weather, but particularly fun when it’s snowing or raining while you are in the outdoor heated pools.

Before I started going to thermal baths, I was worried that it was just for adults and that my kids would not be welcome there. Thermal baths are indeed primarily designed for allowing adults to relax, but this should not deter you. Kids are almost always welcome at thermal baths, and some baths even have specific family and kiddie pools. Some do not allow children under four, so always check the website before you go.

While your kids should not be as rowdy as they would in a regular public pool and pool toys are not allowed, they can certainly laugh, play and swim about. I have never been hushed or asked to restrain my children at the thermal baths. But I do often remind my kids not to scream and not to splash other people.

It can be a very fun outing for the whole family if you have the right expectations. Thermal baths can be especially great while traveling, when you get stuck with a rainy day or need a way to relax and tire the kids out at the end of the day. Most resort towns in Switzerland, Austria and Germany have at least one thermal bath.

Obviously, thermal bath features vary, but in general you can expect a few different indoor and outdoor heated pools (typically 32-36°C) with a variety of massage jets, bubble beds, and waterfalls. Children are welcome in all pools and steam rooms unless specifically noted; sometimes certain pools are designated for adults only, or sometimes the water or air temperature is deemed unsuitably hot for small children. Most thermal baths have a separate adults-only section for sauna (often nude) and spa treatments, which are priced separately from the pool entrance. We sometimes have one parent stay with the kids while the other parent uses the sauna for a bit. Usually there is a café, often connected to the pool area, with typical Swiss café food: sausages, salads, and noodles.

Most thermal baths have special features that make them interesting and fun for kids, like a lazy river or waterslide. We especially like the “fire and ice” pools that we’ve seen at several thermal baths. You go back and forth between an ice-cold pool (16°C) and a hot pool (40°C). My kids think it is hilarious and love daring each other to go into the pools.

Thermal baths usually charge by the hour. We typically get a two- to three-hour pass. This includes the time you spend changing your clothes, so plan for that. If you go over your time, you are usually charged a couple of francs per extra 15 minutes.

Here are a few thermal baths that we recommend:

Our absolute favorite is the Sole Uno Thermalbad in Rheinfelden. It has so many different features that keep our kids interested:

• outdoor pool with lazy river, bubble beds, waterfall, massage jets
• Dead Sea pool with 12 percent salt content, so you float very easily. Relaxing music plays, and there are soothing light reflections on the walls.
• a series of steam rooms with different scents like coconut/vanilla, lemon/orange, and mint
• rainforest room where you push a button to make very warm rain fall from the ceiling
• waterfall room where you push a button and a rushing river bounces back and forth through some rocks before falling on your head
• fire (40°C) and ice (15°C) pools

We now take visitors to this one and they all love it. Sole Uno costs SFr. 25/adult and SFr. 14/child for two hours. Only children four and over are allowed at this one.

Bodensee Therme Konstanz is a new favorite. It’s not super fancy, but it has all the regular features like bubble beds, lazy river, waterfalls, outdoor heated pool, etc. However, it is much more affordable than the Swiss thermal baths, with a three-hour family pass for only 23 Euros. We also use it as an excuse to have an affordable yummy lunch in the Konstanz old town and do a little shopping. Unlike most other thermal baths we’ve visited, it has a baby splash pool with a little slide and sprays. Their summer outdoor pool is quite nice as well.

Thermalbad Zurzach has some nice features, including a super fast “river” that is even more fun if you bring something to float on. Since our last visit, they have added a kiddie pool. For a two-hour pass, Thermalbad Zurzach costs SFr. 17.80 per adult, SFr.10 for children 5-13, SFr.5 for children four and under.

Tamina Therme near Bad Ragaz is nice but a little pricy, we thought. We went as a treat after a day’s hiking in the nearby mountains, and our kids thought that this was the best thing ever. For a two-hour pass, it cost SFr. 32/adult and SFr. 18 for children 3-16 (weekdays are cheaper). It has fire and ice pools, which have become a required element for my boys. It has an outdoor heated pool with massage jets, bubbles and waterfalls. The view of the mountains is lovely.

By Tanya Deans