Friday morning, I was eager to see the pool and sauna areas of the hotel. I had a specific reason for this, and I apologize in advance, as many people will consider it TMI. I am 50 years old, but I’m not yet menopausal… and I knew that there was a good chance I would be visited by everybody’s favorite “Aunt Flow”. So I wanted to try the pool before that particular chore would make swimming more problematic. As it turned out, Aunt Flow decided to spare me, but on Friday, I wasn’t sure. So, that was where we spent our Friday morning, after breakfast, of course. I got a few more photos of the lavish offerings, which I will share below.

Bill and I went to the pool area before we got our bathing suits. We wanted to know what to expect. I took some photos for the blog, as no one was there at all during our initial visit. That alone makes the Bareiss Hotel kind of special. It has facilities that rival some of the awesome public spas we’ve visited in Germany, but I’ve never seen them empty like this… Imagine all of this all to yourself! It’s pretty great. Of course, in the summer, I’m sure it’s not like this at all. That’s why I suggest booking during the less popular times to travel, if you can manage it. Below are some photos from the pool area.

I didn’t get a good shot of the heated outdoor pool. That one can be entered from inside and accessed by a sliding door with an “eye”. It had bubbling rack where people can sit and get a massage, a flow channel, and a couple of massaging jets. I liked that pool, too, but it was too chilly and inconvenient to get a photo. The sun eventually came out, and I got a nice view of the area from the solarium.

Bill and I did not use the saunas or steam rooms. That was mainly because neither of us really care too much about them, and here in Germany, you have to be nude. I don’t mind being nude in the saunas or steam rooms, especially since everybody does it here. But the Bareiss doesn’t really have a lot of room for changing. I found only one dressing room, and I didn’t feel comfortable getting naked in the locker room, which was for everybody. They do have “spa kilts”, which really just looked like big towels. I didn’t want to mess with it. They also provide robes and slippers. We used the ones in our room, but I would have been more comfortable if I’d remembered to bring my own robe, which I know fits me properly. We did use the whirlpools in the sauna area, which were very nice. I think those were clothing optional, as we did see a naked lady in one of them. We just kept our suits on. Below are some photos from the sauna area and the shopping area.

There’s a swimming pond and an outdoor pool that we didn’t check out, due to the cool temperatures. In hot weather, they offer another option for swimming and sun worship.

I could have spent all day in the pool area. The one thing that seemed to be missing was waiter service. They did have the breakfast area set up, and I’m sure we could have ordered room service from the pool area. I still think it would have been good to have someone there full time to provide drinks or snacks to those who wanted them. I know it was technically available, since I saw one family getting service, but it’s not like anyone was obviously there for that purpose. I can’t complain, though, as the pool area is very relaxing and offers something for everyone. Especially the grownups! I did see that on Saturday night, which was the gala night, the kids’ program had a “pool party” after 7:00pm, which is when the pool area closes.

I also got some photos of the solarium and the gym area. No, I didn’t use either of them. 😀 And I got a few pictures of the shopping passage, where there are little boutiques selling jewelry, clothes, and gifts. If you want to, you can also get your hair done. I haven’t had mine professionally done since 2010. My dentist thought I colored my hair, but that, too, is natural as of 2017! The hard water in Germany makes coloring my hair too risky.

By the time we were finished with the pool, it was getting close to lunch time. We decided to have cake and coffee instead. Again, drinks aren’t included in the price of board, except at breakfast. But the cakes are included, and boy were they beautiful!

After we had cake, we decided to take a walk into town and visit the Apotheke. Bill was troubled by fullness in his ear and hoped the pharmacist could help. He bought some ear drops and, as it turned out, they were helpful after a short wait. I had a chance to take a few more photos.

And finally, as the evening approached, we decided to visit the goats again… and I got more pictures! On the way there, we ran into an elderly German gentleman with an adorable dog named Maya. Upon discovering that we are Americans, he told us in perfect English that he used to live in Baltimore, Maryland and went to Harvard Business School. No wonder he was vacationing at Hotel Bareiss. He’s probably loaded! We hung out with the goats until the ponies were brought in, and little kids were allowed to go into the pen and pet everybody.

Now… time for part five!