Tag Archives: textile free areas

Hessen

Hedonist’s dream– two naked hours at the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme and lunch at La Cantinetta

Back in November 2018, Bill and I celebrated our 16th anniversary in Baden-Baden.  While we were there, we tried the all nude Friedrichsbad Irish Roman Baths.  When we told people we were moving to Wiesbaden, they nodded knowingly, since Wiesbaden is known as a “spa” town.  In fact, the best known spa in these parts is the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme, which is an Irish Roman bath hall, sort of like Friedrichsbad, only smaller, less crowded, and significantly cheaper.

I had reviewed Friedrichsbad on TripAdvisor and someone who read my review and travels to Germany often on business, asked me if I’d had the chance to go to the spa in Wiesbaden.  I’m sad to report that although Bill and I are quite assimilated to being naked in front of German strangers, today was our first time visiting.  In fact, the TripAdvisor guy went to the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme before I did, and he lives in the United States.

Nevertheless, today was our day to go.  Bill was, as usual, a little bit reluctant.  Once we were there, he loved it as much as I did.  One thing I like about this particular Therme is that not only is it historic, it’s also kind of low key.  The facilities are on the old side and it’s not the biggest, fanciest, spa, but it has many historic elements.  It’s also inexpensive and, at least today, not that crowded.  I’m sure it fills up when the weather isn’t so beautiful.

This was the best I could do for photos.  It’s a nude spa, so I wasn’t going to bring my camera in there.

 

The first thing to know about this spa is that it’s entirely textile free.  Do not bring a bathing suit, because they are not allowed– EVER.  In fact, there’s even a sign on the reception desk in English and illustrated with pictures of bathing suits with red lines through them.  Do bring towels, a robe, and shower shoes.  I usually bring two big towels and a robe, just in case one of the towels gets too wet to dry off with.  If you don’t have a towel or a robe, you can rent them.

The next thing to know is that you can book packages or simply pay by the hour, settling up your bill on your way out of the spa.  It was our first time, so we just went in, wearing the customary wristwatch one gets at German spas, and found a locker.  You can choose whatever locker you want, change in the privacy of a stall in the unisex locker room, and use your watch to lock the locker.  Take a quick shower in the men’s or women’s shower (which seems kind of silly, since everyone’s naked anyway), and make your way into the spa area.

The first thing you’ll see is the pool pictured below…

This iconic pool is pictured on everything advertising this Therme. 

 

The Therme has a very small parking lot, so we parked at a garage a couple of blocks down.

You should know that the big pool is COLD.  There’s a much smaller hot pool, which reminds me of a baptismal font, just behind the big pool.  Save them for the end of your time.  I noticed that this spa has a lot of the same elements Friedrichsbad has, only there are no “minders” telling you where to go or keeping the crowd going.  Unlike Friedrichsbad, there’s also no obvious set schedule of activities, although they do post a suggested sequence in the cafe area.  The list is in German.

Bill and I started with a quick dip in the freezing big pool, followed by a couple of sauna sessions.  The first sauna was kind of mild and comforting, while the next was a much hotter Finnish sauna.  We spritzed off in the “Eisregen” (ice rain) shower, then hit the two big “jacuzzi” like pools.  One was heated at 37 degrees Celsius and had lots of bubbles.  The other was 39 degrees Celsius and had very powerful jets that hit my lower back at just the right spot.  I really enjoyed sitting in that tub, pounding the stress and pain out of my back and right outer hip.

Throughout the Therme, there are really nice loungers where you can have a rest.  Be sure to put a towel down before you lie on the loungers or use the sauna.  Next, we used the foot baths, then went into the “Lumenraum”, which is a very dark, quiet, room with loungers and twinkling colored lights in the ceiling.  It was so nice to just lie in there and chill for a few minutes.  I may have to find one of those loungers for home.  After another session in the hot sitting pool, we tried one of the steam rooms, which didn’t seem to be operating properly.  It was just very warm in the room; there was no steam.  I left my shower shoes outside and regretted it, because the tiles were hot in there.

Then, we hit the big cold pool and the hot pool, then spent some time in the Tepidarium, which reminded me a lot of the one at Friedrichsbad, minus the crowds.  We skipped a couple of the other rooms since they either appeared to be closed or beyond our comfort zone.  I probably could have taken a freezing cold plunge after the Tepidarium, but I was so warm and cozy I decided I’d rather just hose off and get dressed.  While we were sitting in the warm, damp room, I quipped to Bill that I felt like we were really “going native” with these nude spa jaunts.  I don’t know what I’m going to do when we’re back in the States someday and I have to suit up.

One thing I noticed today was that it was not at all crowded in the Therme and there was plenty of room to try everything.  We were finished within about two hours, feeling very relaxed and happy.  The price for our two hour stay?  Just twenty euros.  The Therme does have a snack bar that serves juices, water, beer, and light snacks, but we decided we wanted to have lunch at La Cantinetta, a great Italian place we discovered a couple of months ago.  I think the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme may be my favorite spa yet.  No, it’s not super fancy or new, and it doesn’t have any deep pools you can do laps in, but it gets the job done at a reasonable price.  Plus, the historic features are really beautiful and the place is very clean.  I saw no children in the spa, which was a great thing.  The atmosphere today was very calm and inviting, rather than akin to a souped up Schwimmbad.

Bill and I are very used to the naked spa experience now, but I understand that some Americans may be reluctant to try it.  I can’t speak for everyone, but I have found that every time I’ve gone to a textile free spa, I stopped noticing nudity within seconds.  Everyone is naked and, trust me, no one cares what your junk looks like.

When we were finished at the Therme, we made our way to La Cantinetta, where a saxophonist was playing for Euros.  The waiters invited us to sit down.  We got there about five minutes too soon.  If we’d waited just a few more minutes, we could have had a table in the shade.  Oh well…  Here are some photos from our pricey, but outstanding, lunch.

La Cantinetta has an extensive menu, with pasta, pizza, and lots of beautifully presented Italian dishes.

I settled on scallops with tomato, bacon, chilis, and avocado…  this was a pricey appetizer at 18,50 euros, but I was very curious about it.  I’m glad I ordered it, because the scallops were done to perfection.

Bill went with the cream of asparagus soup.  Seems that every restaurant in Germany has its own version, this time of year.  It was very creamy, comforting, and a little sweet.  We also had fresh pizza bread with a choice of garlic or butter.  We went with garlic, but only ate a little of it because we knew lunch would be substantial.

 

Last time we ate here, there were fresh cut tulips on the table.  This time, it was roses.

 

We had a slight lull in business.  Maybe we should have moved up a table and gotten out of the sun…

 

For the main course, Bill ordered branzino (wolfbarsch– or European sea bass).  They brought out a special shelf on which to debone the fish for him.

The set up…
 

Expertly done… and the fish was excellent, as expected.

And nicely presented, too…

I went with sesame seed encrusted yellow fin tuna, served with sugar snap peas, mangos, avocados, and risotto.  I could almost finish this, although tuna tends to be a bit too dry and heavy for me to eat a lot of.  The sesame seeds added to the bulk of this dish.  I loved the way it was presented, though.  It, too, was rather expensive at 32,50 euros.

While we were eating, a German couple sat at the table next to us.  The male half, who wore a striped polo shirt with a popped collar, asked in German what we were eating.  I am proud to report that I was able to understand and respond.  It turned out he spoke English, as did his female companion.  They were nice, and had a good sense of humor as they observed the large Italian family sitting across from us.  At least one of the guys in that group, too, had a popped collar.

Popped collars were popular in America back in the mid 80s, but they apparently never went out of style in Europe.  I counted at least three or four guys with them today.  I had to break Bill of the habit of popping his collar when we were dating.  I guess old habits die hard.  No offense to anyone reading this who likes to pop their collars.  I once thought that looked cool, too.  Kidding…  really.

Anyway, we decided to finish up with the dessert special of the day, which featured the fruit of the season– strawberries.  Feast your eyes!

Three little strawberry cheesecake cubes with fresh cut strawberries, dried, pressed strawberry “leather”, and a scoop of strawberry sorbet!  We split it, and it was the perfect size.  Bill especially enjoyed the crust, which was much like our beloved graham cracker style, though they tasted more like biscuits to me.

We enjoyed San Pellegrino– one large bottle and one small– and a couple of glasses of white wine with lunch.  The first round was a pleasant Lugano that got a bit warm in the intense May sunshine.  The second was a Sauvignon Blanc.  The waiter opened a fresh bottle for us and then suggested it to the Italians sitting across from us.  I noticed two other tables bought whole bottles of the same wine, which the waiter initially seemed surprised I’d asked for.  The waiter, by the way, was really cute and reminded me of Ray Reyes of Menudo fame back in the 80s.

Our total bill came to about 130 euros before the tip.  I’m glad the Therme was so cheap today.  La Cantinetta can be expensive, although they have plenty of more pedestrian dishes that aren’t expensive.   A person won’t go broke having pasta or pizza, for instance.  I do enjoy their more gourmet offerings, though, and their waiters are very charming and professional… and good at upselling.

I can definitely see us making a habit of visiting the Therme on Sundays.  That was a real hit for both of us!  I don’t know that it’s always as “chill” as it was today, but we really enjoyed ourselves.

Tomorrow, we venture to Cologne for yet another concert, so my travel blog will get some extra love this week.  Stay tuned!

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Baden-Württemberg, Böblingen

Lunch, lounging, and “littles” at the Mineraltherme…

I gave serious thought to going to the Sindelfingen Street Fest this afternoon.  Then I looked up at the cloudy sky and decided I’d rather spend the afternoon naked with a bunch of Germans.  I told Bill we should go to a spa, since it’s been ages since our last visit.  Poor Bill is such a good sport.  Although he knows I love a good spa day, the thought of going to one strikes dread in his heart, especially when we go to ones that have textile free areas or are entirely textile free.  But he loves to make me happy and he can’t deny that after a few hours at the spa, he always comes home relaxed.

Bill takes a deep breath before enduring the horror of bathing suits.

At first, I was kind of wanting to visit the Schwabenquellen, mainly because when we went the last time, it was a lot less crowded than the Mineraltherme in Böblingen usually gets.  However, the Schwabenquellen’s restaurant is not as good as the Mineraltherme’s is, and it’s not as close to where we live.  It’s also entirely textile free, which I know Bill is leery about.  Sure enough, when I made the suggestion, he said he preferred Böblingen, so that’s where we went.

We arrived at the Mineraltherme at a little after one o’clock and enjoyed a very nice lunch.  Of the spas I’ve been to in this area, I would say the Mineraltherme has the best restaurant.  It offers somewhat healthy, upscale dishes instead of the usual pizzas, burgers, and brats offered elsewhere.  Today’s lunch was no exception.  We each enjoyed wine– I had a Riesling and he had a Gray Burgundy, along with our usual sparkling water.

They brought out a very nice lentil salad amuse.  It was well seasoned with cumin and filled out with eggplant.  I don’t usually love eggplant, but I did enjoy this.

Our waitress was pleasant and spoke English.  Bill ordered one of the specials, spaghetti with tuna mixed in a tomato sauce, pictured below.

It was a pretty big dish!  He said it was tasty.

A moment of seriousness before it was time for me to try my dish…

I had a “Kartoffel trifft Fische”, a baked potato covered in sour cream and served with smoked salmon and a simple green salad.  I enjoyed this dish, although I wish I had asked them to go very easy on the sour cream.  I don’t like sour cream that much and even if I did, I wouldn’t use as much as is pictured here.  But the salad and smoked salmon were really enough to satisfy me anyway.

 

Lunch came to just over 40 euros.  Because we hadn’t yet entered the spa, we paid for it in cash.  I always enjoy eating at the Mineraltherme.  I wish other spas had restaurants as nice as theirs.

Then we got in line to pay basic admission and get our wristwatches, which allow you to purchase things without using cash in the spa and keep track of your time.  At this writing, it’s 12 euros per adult to visit the upstairs and part of the downstairs portions of the Mineraltherme.  If you want to go into the Saunagarten, which is textile free, you have to pay another 6 euros.  This is done by scanning your wristwatch at a turnstile.  On your way out of the spa, you pay a machine for any refreshments or other extras you get while you’re in the spa.

After we paid our admission, we went into the unisex locker room, which is full of small dressing rooms so you can “suit up” in private.  The Mineraltherme underwent a large renovation last year and they made some improvements to the locker room and some of the other facilities.  We spent the first hour or so enjoying the pools upstairs, which require the use of a bathing suit.  It was somewhat busy when we first got there, but not too bad.  But then, as time went on, the spa began to fill up.  I started noticing some rather inconsiderate behavior, which I’ll be bitching about in the following paragraphs.

One thing I don’t really like about the Mineraltherme experience on weekends is that it gets very crowded.  People bring their kids and act as if the spa is a Freibad.  I don’t really have so much of a problem with the kids up in the clothed area.  I accept that parents like the spa and they’re going to bring their children.  Most of the children at the Mineraltherme have been well-behaved, although I did see a couple of them hogging the pool noodles and not being very careful about where they were swinging them.  I didn’t need a pool noodle myself; I pretty much float on my own.  However, I did almost get beaned by one when one of the inattentive kids was horsing around.  I don’t find having to duck pool noodles a very relaxing experience, but I’m willing to accept that kids are welcome there.  So be it.

I have more of a problem with people who bring their young children into the textile free area.  Technically, youngsters under 18 are allowed down there if they are with an adult.  Personally, I think it’s a bad idea to bring children into that area.  It’s not because I’m uptight about nudity.  On the contrary, I’m all for it among consenting adults.  Consider this, though.  In the textile free area, the adults are walking around naked or wearing a towel or a robe.  You’ll see all kinds of things that might need explaining or cause uncomfortable staring, even if you do your best to avert your eyes.  For example, I saw one guy today with a very large metal ring hanging off of the end of his junk, Prince Albert style.  I don’t have kids myself, but I can just imagine explaining that one to a nine year old.

Also consider that people drink alcohol down there, just as they also do in the upstairs area.  It seems to me that adults drinking booze while naked is not necessarily compatible with hanging around with school aged children.  And… this is a big thing for me… the adults have paid an entrance fee so they can relax and unwind.  That is what spas are for.

Where’s Alice to set people straight when we need her?

I don’t find it very relaxing when a kid is hogging the jets in the pool, screaming and yelling, running amok, or staring.  I have less of a problem with kids watching couples practically fucking in the pool, which frequently happens at the Mineraltherme, than I do with them watching egregious violence on TV.  On the other hand, I’m not sure it’s something that they necessarily need to be seeing.  In fact, I’m not sure it’s something I need to be seeing, either.  But whatever… when in Rome (or Germany), right?

I counted at least five grade school aged kids in the textile free area today.  I also saw a few American youngsters who appeared to be high school aged.  They were loudly making jokes about bringing dates to the spa.  One of them was squirting water with his hands, like an oyster, and basically acting like he was at a naked pool party.

I know nudity is much more acceptable here in Germany than it is in the United States, but it’s still kind of a shock to my American sensibilities when I see young kids hanging out in the nude area of a spa, where grown people are trying to relax.  I think it’s inconsiderate for people to bring their kids in there.  It’s kind of akin to people who bring young kids on luxury cruises that aren’t equipped for kids.  It’s not really fair to the children or the other adults who have paid the price of admission.  Naturally, a day at the spa costs a lot less than a week on SeaDream I, but the concept is still the same.

Anyway… I don’t plan to write a letter of complaint or anything.  It was just something I was thinking about today at the spa.  I did leave there feeling more relaxed than I did when I came in and I’m sure I’ll go back another time.  I probably ought to show up in the mornings on weekdays, when kids are more likely to be in school, or maybe find a place that is strictly for adults.  I just think the local Freibad is probably a better place for kids to be, rather than the spa.  But that’s just little ol’ childfree me, sharing my opinion.  Incidentally, I also hate the term “littles” for children, but it is what it is.

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Baden-Württemberg

Unexpected fest leads to unexpected nudity…

This morning, Bill asked me what I wanted to do today.  A German who runs one of our local Facebook groups recommended the Paracelsus-Therme in the lovely town of Bad Liebenzell.  It had been ages since my last trip to the Mineraltherme in Böblingen.  Right now, that spa is under massive construction and will be closed until mid July.  I told Bill I wanted to check out the spa recommended by our German friend.

Bill doesn’t enjoy visiting spas.  He’s bashful about being seen in a bathing suit.  On the other hand, once I cajole him into going, he usually enjoys his spa time almost as much as I do.  Of course, here in Germany, many spas are textile free, which means that patrons are naked.  I sold Bill on the spa in Bad Liebenzell by reminding him that unlike the Mineraltherme, the Paracelsus-Therme does not have a textile free area.  Everyone would be wearing bathing suits.

Although he still wasn’t too hot on the idea of hitting the spa, my dear husband finally relented and we loaded up the car and went.  The drive was kind of quiet and awkward, yet absolutely stunning.  If you haven’t been to the towns in the Calw area, I highly recommend just taking a Saturday or Sunday to drive through there.  It’s an incredibly picturesque area.

So…  we got to Bad Liebenzell, turned a corner, and ran smack dab into the middle of another unexpected fest.  We didn’t stop and take a look around, but it looked like there were a bunch of classic cars on display.  No matter.  We were headed to the spa.

We got to the spa and the parking lot was completely full.  I’m pretty sure many of the people who had parked there were headed to the fest.  Despite circling around the parking lot several times, we were unable to find a spot.  Bill was getting more and more irritated; I was getting hungry; and my car was running out of gas.  We decided to abandon the idea of going to Paracelsus-Therme.  While Bill was gassing up my car, I had a sudden brainstorm.

Back in 2015, Bill and I drove to the spa town of Bad Wildbad and took a walk at Baumwipfelpfad, otherwise known as “the treewalk”.  This very cool attraction has become popular with Americans in the area and it was definitely fun to try it.  On the way out of there, I noticed signs for mineral baths.  Remembering that Bad Wildbad was a really nice town and has spas, I did a quick check on my iPhone to see what was available.

Bad Wildbad has two main spas.  There’s Vital Therme, which is evidently a conventional spa where people wear bathing suits and there are exercise classes and such.  And then there’s Palais Thermal, which allows suits in some areas and not in others.  I read a few reviews on Trip Advisor and a few people complained that Palais Thermal is a spa for “nudists”.  Since I’ve been wanting to go nekked for awhile now, I told Bill we should go there.  And yes, I did warn him that it was “textile free”… eventually, anyway.  He wasn’t thrilled.  I won him over with giggling.

Bill did visit the first floor of the Mineraltherme with me once, so he had been in a textile free spa before.  However, before today, neither of us had ever had the pleasure of actually being naked in front of a bunch of strangers.  This was going to be FUN!

My husband was decidedly grumpy as he pulled into the parking garage.  I reminded him that he had given me a gift certificate to Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden and if he planned to join me there, he’d have to get over his aversion to nudity in front of strangers.  With a sigh of resignation, Bill followed me to the Palais Thermal.

In we walked…  A pleasant lady was seated behind a reception desk.  Bill asked in German if she spoke English.  She hesitated, then pointed to her colleague, a friendly looking lady who laughed when I giggled and said we were “shy Americans”.  She handed us a piece of paper with instructions on how things work at Palais Thermal and two bracelets which we would use for purchasing spa treatments and food and beverages.  Cash is not used in the spa.  We were used to this system.  It’s pretty much the same one used at the Mineraltherme.

If you decide to pay Palais Thermal a visit, I highly recommend getting the instructions in English so you’ll know what to do.  Some Trip Advisor reviewers mentioned being taken aback by the nudity and not knowing when nudity was required of them.  Nudity is enforced in the rooftop pool area and you’ll see it all over the spa.  Although the staff we encountered today was friendly and helpful, I did read in at least one review that staff can be rather insistent about the nudity rule.  Since you’re going there to relax, you don’t want to be yelled at by a staffer for breaking the law!

The outside of the spa area.

Bill takes a deep breath…

And in we go!

 

For obvious reasons, I don’t have pictures of the inside of the spa.  That’s too bad, since the bottom floor of the Palais Thermal is absolutely lovely.  It was built in 1844 and retains a lot of old style charm.  But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.  First, we had to get ready.  We went into the changing room, which is unisex.  There are stalls where you can change in privacy, but I guarantee after a couple of hours at the Palais Thermal, you won’t care who sees you in your birthday suit.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t wanting to go ugly early.  I donned my newest swimsuit, which I bought last year and never had the opportunity to wear.  I removed my shoes, since street shoes are not allowed in the spa.  I recommend bringing a robe, shower shoes or flip flops, and at least one towel.

We went into the “quiet room”, which is right next to the “cafeteria”.  This is one area where I think the Palais Thermal could improve.  They had beer, wine, soft drinks, and water.  They also had a limited selection of food.  It wasn’t quite as nice as the restaurant at the Mineraltherme, but it was good enough to satisfy my hunger.  Bill had a smoked salmon sandwich and I had a couple of wieners with a hot baguette and mustard.  Actually, given all of the uncircumcised junk I saw today, that little snack was especially inspired!

The quiet room is really beautiful.  The ceiling is stained glass, so the sunshine affects the lighting in the room.  There are wicker chairs and loungers everywhere.  People sit in there in their robes and towels and eat and drink.  Most people were completely covered up.

After we ate, we took a deep breath and found our way to our first pool.  The Palais Thermal has these cool little baths that are ideal for couples.  You can get in one of them and soak for a bit, maybe even in privacy if you’re lucky.  There’s also a larger, deeper pool on the first floor where bathing suits are allowed.  It’s really pretty.  There’s a statue in the middle of it and the roof is stained glass.  There are a couple of shallow pools with massaging jets on the first floor.  Again, they are rather small and private, which is nice.  There are also a few small jacuzzi like tubs for couples.  All of the baths on the first floor are marble and majestic.  I ditched my swimsuit before we left the first floor and it was totally not a big deal at all.

On the second floor, you’ll see a lot more nudity.  That’s where the saunas, steam rooms, and massages are.  Bill and I usually don’t go for saunas, but we decided to sit in one for fifteen minutes today.  The saunas at Palais Thermal are, like all saunas in Germany, textile free.  This was where Bill lost his trunks!  After a couple of minutes, I could tell he was getting into the groove, since everyone else was as naked as we were…  and most everyone had towels and robes.  If you use the sauna, you will need to sit on a towel.  It’s forbidden to sweat on the wood in the sauna.

After we sat in the sauna, we cooled off in a marble plunge pool full of cold water.  Then we went into a super hot aromatic steam room which neither of us could tolerate for more than a few minutes.  I would think that room would be great if you needed your sinuses cleared.  The air was extremely hot and full of a mentholated substance that I initially found hard to breathe.  After a couple of minutes I got more used to it, but it was just way too hot for me.

On the second floor, there’s also an indoor pool and a shower area that connects to the spa hotel.  This is obviously where people staying at the hotel can access the spa directly.  The second floor pool allows bathing suits, although everyone we saw in there was naked.

On the third floor, there are few more saunas, including the Oriental sauna and a salt room.  We’d had enough sauna time, so we skipped that and went to the fourth floor, which has a panorama sauna and a pool.  In this area, which is outdoors, everyone is naked.  There’s also a bar in this area, but it didn’t appear to be attended today.  The outdoor pool is very nice, with warm water, massage jets, and waterfalls that massage the head and shoulders.  This is also where you’ll find a smoking area, although I’m not sure where people carry their smokes!

As I enjoyed the warm water and sunshine, I couldn’t help but marvel at how unexpectedly freeing it was to be naked in front of a bunch of strangers.  Seriously… I think I was born to be European.  It was interesting to see who was at the spa.  I saw all kinds of bodies and no one stared or acted embarrassed.  I saw old people, thin people, fat people, young people… one thing I did not see was young children, which was a real blessing.  The youngest people there were a couple of teenagers.  They appeared to be brother and sister and were with a guardian– not egregiously sucking face like I often see at the Mineraltherme.  In fact, everyone was behaving themselves.  Maybe it has to do with being naked.

After a little while, Bill told me he was getting wrinkly.  We got out of the water and headed back to the locker room, where we got cleaned up and dressed.  On the way out, we paid 58 euros for a couple of hours in the spa and lunch, including beer.  If your stay is less than three hours, you can get your parking ticket validated and it’s free.  We paid with a USAA credit card, too.  How convenient!

Bill’s face kind of looked like this as we exited.  I have a feeling he won’t be as reluctant to go naked again.

Bad Wildbad is a beautiful town.  Here’s a picture of a creek that passes through there.

I think the Mineraltherme in Böblingen is bigger and newer and has better food.  But it lacks the incredible beauty of stained glass and marble tubs that the Palais Therme has… and it does get very crowded there.  And one bonus to Bad Wildbad is that the drive to and from there, particularly from where we live, is very beautiful and not nearly as congested.  I would say it’s probably not much further or time consuming to get there from Unterjettingen.  I think we’d like to go back for a weekend and just chill, even though the drive there is less than 45 minutes from our house.

I guess going naked with a bunch of Germans is one way to celebrate our decision to stay here for at least one more year.  We left the spa feeling relaxed, yet invigorated.  I would not hesitate to go back to the Palais Thermal and now I know I can handle whatever weirdness Baden-Baden throws at me!  Highly recommended!

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