The most beautiful thermal baths & spas in Switzerland

The short grey days of November are back. And I find myself mourning balmy summer evenings and wondering in the meantime what I could do casually on such gloomy days. There is no reason to be gloomy. Finally, no bright sunshine will stop you from extensive brunches, extended visits to museums and soothing regeneration – at home on the sofa or in a beautiful spa or thermal bath.

To counter the November blues, I have visited four great Swiss wellness oases and thermal baths and show you in this post where gloomy winter days become a minor matter.

The elegant thermal bath: Tamina Therme

Even the gloomiest November day can’t harm the Tamina Therme. The light-flooded thermal spa building, which combines the various baths under one roof, inspires me every time. The contemporary building with white lacquered spruce wood walls and high ceilings ensures an unmistakable appearance and makes the Tamina Therme a special place. Before you go into the water, I recommend a detour to the Old Bad Pfäfers at the entrance to the Tamina Gorge. This is the origin of the spa. Since the early Middle Ages, Bad Ragaz has been known for its thermal water, which gushes out of the mountain at a temperature of 36.5°.

Since the middle of the 19th century, the thermal water has been collected and piped four kilometres down the valley into the village centre of Bad Ragaz. This measure contributed significantly to the development of the village as a renowned and internationally known health resort.

Today, a trip to the Tamina Therme can be perfectly combined with a short hike through the Tamina Gorge (also recommended on rainy days) or a rapid toboggan descent on the Pizol. There is nothing more soothing than letting yourself be bubbled by the hot thermal water after half a day in the fresh air.

On information boards you will find a suggestion as to what – depending on your personal needs – a bathing routine in the Tamina Therme can look like. The tours usually start in the steam bath. This is followed by a stay in the bio sauna and/or in the Finnish sauna. Then it’s off to the 36.5° warm bubble bath or the 34° warm attraction pool/outdoor pool, where massage jets and neck showers loosen tense muscles. Finally, an alternating bath in the hot and cold water grotto invigorates body and mind. By the way, during a visit to the Tamina Therme, I always treat myself to a strong sip of the mineral-rich thermal water at one of the drinking fountains.

You can find more information about the Tamina Therme here: Tamina Therme

The one with the recipe for happiness: Thermalbad Bad Zurzach

Without the striking drilling rigs near Bad Zurzach, there would probably be no thermal baths in the middle of the village today. At the beginning of the 19th century, exploratory drilling for salt at a depth of more than 400 m revealed 39.9° warm water from an alkaline Glauber’s salt thermal bath. It took 40 years from the discovery to the founding of Thermalquellen AG in 1955. Today, Bad Zurzach is one of the best-known health resorts in Switzerland and shines in new splendour after a comprehensive renovation in 2015.

For me, Bad Zurzach is characterized by its extensive outdoor facilities and the beautifully designed sauna area (including panorama sauna). It’s a bit too cool for me to swim in the natural swimming pool, but I let myself be driven by the current in the flow pool and then glide weightlessly through the intensive brine pool; a liberating feeling!

My highlight in Zurzach, however, is not one of the pleasantly warm pools, but the 18° fresh “cold pool”. The inscription on the pelvis “spreads a good mood” makes me curious. The lifeguard tells me that the lithium added to the water has a mood-stabilizing effect. The Gwunder defeats the Gfrörli in me. I bravely dive into the cool pool. The lifeguard hands me a handful of lithium salt. Following his instructions, I squeeze the salt firmly under water with both hands. Almost subito, I feel how a pleasant warmth emanates from this mass and warms me inside. And in view of my big grin on the following picture, lithium probably actually has a positive effect on the mind. It’s best to try it out for yourself.

You can find more information about Bad Zurzach here: Thermalbad Zurzach

The versatile: sole uno Rheinfelden

Like the Tamina Therme and the Bad Zurzach, the sole uno in Rheinfelden is also constantly investing in the further development of the bathing facility. The name of the wellness world not far from Basel indicates that the water does not originate from a geothermal spring – where the water bubbles hot out of the earth – but that it is a brine bath. The Rheinfeld natural brine® is said to have a relaxing and vitalizing effect at the same time. During our visit, we get an exclusive insight into the “SalzReich”, which will be added to the wellness offer from the end of November. This new attraction lets you experience the brine with all your senses.

After a look behind the scenes, we take a look at the rest of the bathing and sauna area. The only question that comes to our minds is: Where do we start? From fragrant aroma steam baths to bubbling and cold-blooded brine pools to an authentic Russian banya in the middle of the park, sole uno offers a versatile wellness experience.

My choice falls on the outdoor brine pool, where I am surprised at first how “salty” the water feels. My tip: Don’t stick your head too euphorically under the rushing waterfall.

Pure relaxation is the subsequent detour to the intensive brine pool with a salt content of 12%. The harmonious interplay of architecture, light and acoustics is remarkable. The best way to hear the soothing underwater sounds is to float through the water so that your ear cups are underwater.

Finally, I venture under the 18° fresh “Alpine waterfalls” – a real refreshing experience!

By the way – it’s worth combining a trip to sole uno with a stroll through the pretty old town of Rheinfelden. In 2016, the lenient treatment of the historic buildings of the Zähringer town was honoured by the Swiss Heritage Society with the Wakker Prize.

You can find more information about sole uno here: Wellness World sole uno

The one with guaranteed fun: Splash e SPA Tamaro

While the first three bathing landscapes focus on relaxation and physical well-being, the fourth in the group offers varied bathing fun for young and old. In addition to a pool area and a large wellness area, the Splash e SPA Tamaro also has five water slides that are not for the faint of heart.

The Splash e SPA Tamaro is located right next to the valley station of the Monte Tamaro cable car, a 10-minute walk from the Rivera-Bironico train station. After a leisurely journey of a little more than two hours from Zurich train station – which I use to finally browse through a book again – the first thing I do is head for the three-storey SPA area. The offer here ranges from a salt sauna to an iodine brine pool to the “Sincalick” – a 38° hot pool with underwater music. A regional highlight is the chestnut sauna, which is completely lined with chestnut wood.

If you buy a ticket for the SPA area, the splash area is automatically included. This includes a wave pool, an indoor and outdoor pool with massage jets, underwater loungers and bubble corners, as well as the area with the water slides. I like the winding shape of the outdoor swimming pool – the people spread out well and everyone finds a quiet spot with a beautiful view towards the wooded flanks of Monte Tamaros.

Finally, I gather all my courage and venture onto the water slides. I’m a real scaredy-cat about this. The first attempt with the “Tunnel of Horror” puts a damper on my project; The slide really deserves this name – oh my goodness! I much more enjoy the descent on the “Mania”. It is already approved for six-year-olds (accompanied by an adult) and – in contrast to the Tunnel of Horror – spares me nervous heart leaps in view of the ever-faster slide. The ultimate adrenaline rush is promised by the “Gravity Killer”. I’ll leave the testing of this crazy slide to you. That would definitely be too much for my nerves. Instead, I prefer to retreat to the SPA area for a second time and soothe my pulse with the installation “Cupola Suono di Sole” created by artist Franco Mussida.

More information can be found here: Splash e SPA Tamaro 

What are the most important questions about thermal baths and thermal water?

In the following, I would like to address some questions that arise again and again in connection with thermal baths/thermal water and that I have also asked myself in the course of this research.