With one last summer trip to Europe, consisting of Amsterdam, France, and Switzerland, we knew had to fit in a hot spring. The city of Leukerbad is inside the Swiss alps, about a 2.5-hour drive from Geneva., which has an international airport. The drive is mostly HI way and very scenic, but the last part, the drive from the town of Leukerbad to the therme (hot springs) is high mountain road with a treacherous drop-off and spots with no guardrail. I can’t imagine doing it in the winter.
The therme has 10 thermal baths. 3 large outdoor pools with sitting benches in the pools, massage jets and waterfall areas to massage your back. Beside one of the outdoor pools is a small stone grotto, with hotter water. Besides this is the tread bath, a kneipp walk of alternating hot and cold water. The outdoor pools have amazing views of the Swiss alps surrounding the spa.
One of the outdoor pools has a small water path that leads to the large indoor pool. This pool has a swim up bar, and at the other end a water slide for kids.
There are several levels to this place and it’s easy to get lost with the signs not being in English. Besides the water, there is a sauna level with several sizes and shapes for an additional charge. The top level of the building has a small restaurant with healthy options.
The water flows into the pools at a rate of 4 million liters per day, it’s the largest supply of thermal water in Europe. IT supplies the town and other nearby hotels as well in this area called the Dala gorge. The water is high in calcium and sulfate, with some sodium, strontium, iron and fluoride. The springs in this area were in use by the Romans and became a popular spa destination in the 18th century. It had famous visitors such as Mark twain and James Baldwin, where he wrote his novel “Go tell It on the mountain”
The cost for a 3-hour soaking time is 30 Swiss franc which at this time is about $ 35. You can learn more at https://leukerbad.ch/en/therme