The 20 best hot springs to visit in Europe

06.11.2024 - 20:35 / lonelyplanet.com

Nov 6, 2024 • 7 min read

Sliding into a bathtub after a long day is one of life’s little luxuries – but there’s nothing quite like the restorative high from a dip in a natural thermal pool.

From Iceland’s renowned Blue Lagoon to ancient sulfur streams in the Pyrenees, here’s a rundown of Europe’s best hot springs and thermal pools if you're looking for a proper soak this winter (or year-round if you like).

The vibe: See it to believe it

No list would be complete without it perhaps Europe’s most famous geothermal pool. Emerging from rugged lava fields 30 minutes from Reykjavík, this vivid turquoise pool could easily be mistaken an otherworldly Icelandic natural landscape – but it’s actually a man-made complex fed by mineral-rich water recycled by the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant. Tubs of white, silica-rich geothermal mud are available for guests to apply their own face masks.

The vibe: Romantic bathing in historic Bath

The healing waters of Britain’s only thermal spring have been enjoyed by everyone from the Celts to the Saxons since their discovery by legendary British Prince Bladud around 863 BCE. Tapping the spring that feeds the city’s historic Roman Baths museum, Thermae Bath Spa boasts herbal steam rooms and four thermal baths including an open-air rooftop pool with romantic views of Bath Abbey.

The vibe: Get back to nature

Dotted with water lilies and surrounded by manicured parks, pretty Hévíz boasts the world’s largest biologically active, naturally medicinal lake. Its on-site spa complex is convenient for wintertime visits, and since the lake’s natural water temperature never dips below 24°C (75°F) – getting up to 38°C (100°F) during summer – you can bathe outdoors year-round.

The vibe: Views for days

Offering a relaxing alternative to France’s more-serious medicinal bathhouses, this small sulfurous thermal spring, sitting pretty at 1450m (4757ft) in altitude, allows guests to soak at 37–40°C (99–104°F) with gorgeous views of the rolling valleys below. Just a stone’s throw from the Spanish border, Bains de Dorres dates back to Roman times.

The vibe: Room for everyone

Budapest is known as the City of Spas, with many of its 16th- and 17th-century Turkish baths still in use today. With a whopping 18 different pools and a further 10 saunas and steam chambers, the grand, neo-baroque Széchenyi Baths complex in Budapest’s City Park is one of the capital’s top attractions.

The vibe: Alpine architectural chic

This minimalist spa complex at 7132 Therme Vals is so trendy that devotees think nothing of the 200km (124-mile) journey from Zürich to bathe in its hydrotherapy pools. Night bathing is offered to guests who bed down at Therme Val’s adjoining hotel, which has been remodeled by the spa’s