Are There Hot SpringsAre there hot springs in Germany?
Yes, but you soak in them at a Therme rather than in the wild. Germany has many spa towns, often named Bad, whose thermal baths are filled with hot or mineral spring water; Baden-Baden is the most famous.
Baden-Baden's springs have been used since Roman times, and today feed the Friedrichsbad and the Caracalla Therme. Bavaria has the most thermal baths, including Therme Erding near Munich, one of the largest in the world.
Most baths have a separate sauna area, and German saunas are usually nude and mixed. Pools are always swimsuit areas.
Hot springs in Germany map
The map shows all 21 hot springs we cover in Germany. Zoom in on the larger map for more detail.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Best hot springs in Germany
The thermal baths most visitors plan a trip around, from historic bathhouses to giant modern spas.
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Roman-Irish bath
Friedrichsbad
Baden-Baden, Baden-WürttembergA grand 1877 bathhouse where you move through a Roman-Irish bathing ritual over about three hours, mostly nude.
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Thermal bath
Caracalla Therme
Baden-Baden, Baden-WürttembergThe modern side of Baden-Baden: indoor and outdoor pools fed by the town's hot springs, plus a big sauna area.
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Thermal park
Therme Erding
Erding, BavariaA huge thermal spa near Munich Airport with sulphurous pools, many waterslides and an adults-only sauna world.
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Roman-Irish bath
Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme
Wiesbaden, HesseAn adults-only bathhouse from 1913 built on Roman foundations, with Art Nouveau tiling.
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Thermal bath
Cassiopeia Therme Badenweiler
Badenweiler, Baden-WürttembergA Black Forest thermal bath with a glass-domed pool, right beside Roman bath ruins.
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Thermal bath
Palais Thermal
Bad Wildbad, Baden-WürttembergThermal pools inside a listed 1847 Moorish-style palace in the northern Black Forest.
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Thermal bath
Obermain Therme
Bad Staffelstein, BavariaA big thermal bath with Bavaria's strongest brine and a connected spa hotel.
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Thermal bath
Toskana Therme Bad Orb
Bad Orb, HesseA saltwater thermal bath in the Spessart hills where music plays under the water.
Famous hot springs in Germany
All 21 thermal baths we list in Germany, A to Z, from Baden-Baden to Bavaria's spa towns.
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Thermal bath
Borde Therme Bad Sassendorf, Germany
Brine thermal bath near Soest with indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna garden and a salt grotto.
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Thermal bath
Caracalla Therme, Germany
Modern thermal bath in Baden-Baden fed by the town's hot springs, with indoor and outdoor pools, a grotto and saunas.
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Thermal bath
Cassiopeia Therme Badenweiler, Germany
Black Forest thermal bath with a glass-domed pool and a marble bath, next to Roman bath ruins.
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Thermal bath
Emser Therme, Germany
Thermal bath on the Lahn river with a floating sauna on the water and a connected hotel.
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Roman-Irish bath
Friedrichsbad, Germany
Grand 1877 bathhouse where you follow a Roman-Irish bathing ritual of about three hours, mostly nude.
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Thermal bath
Jod-Sole-Therme Bad Bevensen, Germany
Iodine-brine thermal bath on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath, with indoor and outdoor pools and saunas.
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Roman-Irish bath
Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme, Germany
Adults-only bathhouse from 1913 on Roman foundations, with Art Nouveau tiles and saunas.
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Thermal bath
KissSalis Therme, Germany
Thermal bath in the spa town of Bad Kissingen, with pools, saunas and a children's area.
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Thermal bath
Limes-Therme Bad Gögging, Germany
Spa-town bath near the Danube with sulphur water, mineral pools and peat treatments.
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Thermal bath
Obermain Therme, Germany
Thermal bath with Bavaria's strongest brine, many indoor and outdoor pools and a spa hotel.
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Thermal bath
Palais Thermal, Germany
Thermal bath in a listed 1847 Moorish-style palace in the northern Black Forest, with saunas.
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Thermal bath
SaarowTherme, Germany
Brine thermal bath on Lake Scharmützel, about an hour from Berlin, with saunas and a lake beach.
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Thermal bath
Taunus Therme, Germany
Mineral-water thermal bath near Frankfurt with pools and a large sauna area.
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Thermal bath
Therme Bad Aibling, Germany
Domed thermal bath in the Bavarian foothills with sulphurous mineral water, saunas and a hammam.
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Thermal bath
Therme Bad Steben, Germany
State-run spa in the Franconian Forest with indoor pools, a sauna garden and radon water.
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Thermal bath
THERME Bad Wörishofen, Germany
Thermal bath with healing-water pools under palm trees and an opening roof, plus a big sauna area.
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Thermal park
Therme Erding, Germany
Huge thermal spa near Munich Airport with sulphurous pools, waterslides and an adults-only sauna world.
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Thermal bath
Therme Euskirchen, Germany
Tropical-style thermal spa near Cologne with lagoon pools and themed saunas; ages 16 and up.
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Thermal bath
Thermen & Badewelt Sinsheim, Germany
Big thermal bath near Heidelberg with mineral pools, a palm hall and many themed saunas.
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Thermal bath
Toskana Therme Bad Orb, Germany
Saltwater thermal bath in the Spessart hills, known for music playing underwater.
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Thermal bath
VitaSol Therme, Germany
Brine thermal bath with several pools, including a very salty float pool, and a large sauna park.
How to visit hot springs in Germany
When to go
All year. Thermal baths are busiest at weekends and in the school holidays; weekday mornings are the calmest. Winter is high season for saunas.
What it costs
Most Therme sell tickets by time, such as two hours, four hours or a day, and the sauna area usually costs extra. You can rent towels and robes at most baths if you don't bring your own.
Getting there
Most spa towns are on the rail network. Baden-Baden has direct trains on the main Rhine valley line, and Therme Erding is close to Munich Airport.
How to soak responsibly in Germany
German thermal baths are relaxed, but the sauna rules surprise many visitors.
- Shower firstShower before the pools and again before and after each sauna.
- Respect the AufgussDuring a sauna infusion session, don't come or go once the door is closed.
- Go nude in the saunaMost sauna areas are textile-free and mixed; swimsuits are often not allowed.
- Keep it quietMany baths have quiet rooms and adults-only areas.
- Wear a swimsuit in the poolsPool areas are swimsuit areas.
- Sit on a towelYour whole body should be on your towel in the sauna, feet included.
Your questions about Germany hot springs
Are there natural hot springs in Germany?
Yes, but they feed thermal baths rather than wild pools, so you soak in a Therme such as those in Baden-Baden or Bad Aibling.
Do you have to be naked at German thermal baths?
Not in the pools, where swimsuits are required. Most sauna areas are nude and mixed, and Baden-Baden's Friedrichsbad is mostly nude.
What is the biggest thermal bath in Germany?
Therme Erding near Munich is the largest, with thermal pools, waterslides and a huge sauna area.
Which thermal bath is best in Baden-Baden?
Friedrichsbad for the historic Roman-Irish ritual, and Caracalla Therme for modern pools and saunas with swimsuits.
Is there a thermal bath near Frankfurt?
Yes. Taunus Therme in Bad Homburg and Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme in Wiesbaden are both close by.
Can children go to German thermal baths?
Usually to the pools, but many sauna areas and some baths are adults only or have a minimum age, such as 16 at Therme Euskirchen.
Pictures of hot springs in Germany
Photos of Friedrichsbad, Caracalla Therme, Therme Erding, Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme, Cassiopeia Therme Badenweiler and Palais Thermal, all hot springs in this guide. We only use photos whose license allows reuse and credit the photographer under each one. The full credits are on our photo credits page.
Sources and verification
We last checked this page on , using the sources below.
- German National Tourist Board (official tourism site)
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