Vibes

ane__5

Cuando te permites lo que mereces, atraes lo que necesitas 🩵

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#nature #landscape #naturalpool #hotspring #clearwater #dog #mountaingirl #love #world_bestnature #instant_es #autumnvibes #perfect_capture #beautifulpic #wildlife #adventure #paradise #strong #travelling #natureshot #vegangirl #nomad #exploremore #awesomeplaces #lifestyle #bnw #earth_focus #photography #dream_image #picoftheday #📷

News and views on hot soak and assorted culture of Europe.

News from the hot springs. 

Timeout Budapest on the Gellert baths news (Oct. 1):

'Spas are a huge part of Budapest’s cultural fabric – and the Gellért, a legendary art nouveau spa richly decorated with Zsolnay tiling, is one of the most iconic venues in the city.

However, as of today (October 1), you won’t be able to visit the Gellért until 2028, as the century-old spa – first opened in 1918 – is closing for three years of renovation. Reconstruction work will now run alongside the overhaul of the equally venerable hotel of the same name, which has been closed since November 2021.

The primary consideration in the project is the preservation of the historical heritage: the restoration of the art nouveau interiors, tiling and aesthetic appearance. In addition, sustainability and energy-efficient solutions will be introduced, by modernising the use of thermal water and heating.

According to plans, the changing rooms will be unified, and a new sunbathing terrace, a modern wellness area and panoramic garden sauna will be created'.

Over to Baden (Switzerland), where they celebrated Badsgemeinde 2025! ❤️ (source). Translated:

'On the 28th. & 29. In August we celebrated the first implementation of the Badsgemeinde on the Kurplatz, Baden. We spent the whole program in a temporary basin filled with fresh thermal water. The GV of the cooperative Bad zum raven was held, debated under the moderation of Monika Schärer, the future Bad zum raben auctioned by Simon Balissat @sigats and a poem by Simon Libsig @simonlibsig given to the best. At the end, there was a concert by Strello under the starry sky in Baden. ✨

yvisflowers

So many exciting things happening right now:

🪶we are in the final part of the build of our home in wheels (soon we will share more)

🪶we are soon moving to a new house… I lived here since I was 18

🪶a person that lives far away but that I love deeply is coming to visit very very soon

🪶we are attending an amazing festival this weekend (the festival cancelled due to weather forecast :(((, but it has been rescheduled for sometime soon 🌝🫶)

Honestly, our head has been in the clouds for the whole year, we cannot believe everything unfolding in front of us. 🤍

Open to everything that’s coming next.

Happy to share here more details soon 😆

Skai.gr has a vdo on the mud baths / hot springs of Krinides. There is the possibility to autotranslate the vdo. 

Briefly: they want to extend the summer mud bathing season, earlier and later in the year (before mid-June and after September). 

Whether or not it's only for the reportage, but clothesfree mudbathing seems to have been discontinued. Question mark. Note: recent photo's are less clothed (Sep. 24).

Staying with mudbaths. And vdo's. Nowness has a feature vdo (Aug. 25) on the mudbaths of Akhtala. Description:

'Travelling to Georgia, director Sasha Kulak observes the mud between the softly exhaling landscape, to the full-body treatments that transfer its restorative powers, for the short film The Great Mud of Akhtala. Against storytelling passed through generations and understanding shaped by engaging with this strange landscape, the short documentary captures the profound respect that connects the spa’s visitors and practitioners, seeking its healing mud to restore balance and wellbeing in accordance with nature'.

Vanlife: Il Bollore

Bagni di San Filippo Siena province Italy

Wandering Carol visits (and reports, Nov. 9) on Bath, UK's only thermal spring, though much of the attraction is due to the Roman remains of their original bath. It does though look like it's an original post, rehashed again. Very glowing all, suppose if it's all you have, then it must be very precious.

Earlier (Aug. 5), Carol also reported back from Baden-Baden.

feelgoodbathing 

At 39°, waters enriched with minerals flow like liquid silk, wrapping the body in warmth while lush greenery surrounds every pool 🌿♨️⁣⁣

⁣⁣

Here, volcanic origins meet garden calm — a sanctuary where bathing is both deeply soothing and beautifully restorative.⁣⁣

♨️ Terra Nosta Park Hotel, Azores⁣

Suggested

Sauna business then.

A missed opportunity. Badstufest 2025 [Sep. 19-21] is a collaboration between the Norwegian Sauna Association and a group of sauna operators in Southern Norway [Arendal]. 

'The festival is a celebration of Norwegian sauna culture, but first and foremost a good excuse to gather people who really enjoy saunas, nature and good vibes for a hot autumn weekend by the sea'.

Not to be missed: International Sauna Congress 2026 (Sep. 24–26), in Oslo, Norway. Billed as world's largest sauna event. Without reference as to what marks it as largest.

A report (KW Magazine, Sep. 3) on a community sauna in the center of the Flemish city of Kortrijk. Translated:

The founders envision the space as more than just a sauna. "Dreaming and building a place where we can meet without class and freedom," they say. Their core values ​​are clear: creating through connection, accessible, and open to everyone. The sauna grows with its community and must be able to stand on its own. The result is an eight-person infusion sauna, equipped with a plunge pool, cold shower, and a cozy atmosphere. Admission is pay-as-you-can, with a suggested price of five euros''.

Some sauna culture?

Vegoutmagazine has an article (Sep. 22) on experiencing a German sauna:

'The biggest shock isn’t the nudity; it’s what the nudity dismantles: your self-consciousness.

Ten minutes in, your inner critic is too sweaty to speak. Bodies blur into bodies.

Scars, bellies, boobs, flat, round, old, young—none of it matters. This isn’t a nightclub; it’s a human defrosting drawer. That modesty panic you anticipate? It drains away in the steam.

You will become very aware of your towel (good), your breathing (better), your heartbeat (hello, you), and—surprise—your appetite.

There’s always a café. And yes, there will be cakes, pretzels, soup, a beer or an apple spritzer, maybe a potato salad that tastes like your grandparents would approve.

Shock five: you will eat after being naked with strangers and feel absolutely fine. More than fine—normal, companionable, like you’ve been through a tiny, polite rite together.

My first time, I sat in a robe, hair wet and wild, dunking a pretzel into mustard, and felt… wealthy.

Not money wealthy. Nervous-system wealthy'.

huumsauna

In Estonia, we have a saying: “Naised saunas rääkisid,” which translates to “Women in sauna talked.” And it’s more than just a phrase.. It captures exactly how sauna encourages genuine connection.

Outside the sauna, conversations might stay polite, short, or even superficial. But step into the gentle heat, surrounded by calming steam, and suddenly barriers fall away. You’re relaxed, honest, and ready to share openly.

Beyond its many physical health perks - like better circulation, detoxification, and muscle recovery - sauna time significantly boosts our mental wellbeing. It encourages authentic conversations, strengthens bonds, and helps ease social anxieties and feelings of loneliness.

Sauna truly brings people closer 🤎

Have you noticed that sauna makes conversations flow more freely? 💬

.

#huumsauna #sauna #saunalife #saunatime #saunawisdom #saunatraditions #nordiclife #nordicliving #nordicstyle #saunaselfie #saunabenefits

An Irish experience (Irish Independent, Nov. 7) of an Austrian sauna experience. Which was naked. And this was repeated oft enough in the article. As in:

'And now, sloppy globs of shea butter are being ladled into my hands. As the only non-German speaker in the steam room, I’m not entirely sure why… until I see my naked brethren rubbing it all over their bodies. I follow suit, and we let it sink in before all leaping into the icy cold lake, modesty be damned'.

The Times concerns itself (Nov. 8) about the rules concerning taking a sauna. Because on the British Isles it's becoming a thing:

'Brits are finally catching up: the British Sauna Society counted more than 400 public saunas across the UK this year, up from 45 in 2023. If you’re a newbie, here’s what you need to know'.

• Is it healthy? A(nswer): yes, 
• What makes a sauna good? ?
• Naked? A.: it's common somewhere else ...,
• How long? A.: fifteen- twenty minutes,
• Cold plunge? A. a short dip is fine,
• How hot is too hot? A.: depends.

A longer reference. 

Starting with the French Naturisme magazine (Oct. 21) which highlights an article (in German) published by Swiss 20min.ch (Oct. 20) on the sauna divide through the country. Swiss but talking German: naked. Others: not.

Translated from French:

'20minutes specifies that "in German-speaking Switzerland, nudity is part of an authentic spa experience and people are less prudish. In addition, saunas and hammams are very popular, especially urban couples under 40. In French-speaking Switzerland, on the other hand, aesthetics, architecture and light take precedence. Well-being is less about sweating and steam jets, but more about massages, perfumes and design, the study concludes ."

...

For its part, LeMatin notes that "Nationally, more than half the population feels uncomfortable in the presence of naked strangers. In German-speaking Switzerland, however, this barrier is much less pronounced: for many, nudity is an integral part of the authentic spa experience. In French-speaking Switzerland, on the other hand, the need for privacy and discretion prevails."

In France, if the survey were done…nudity would not win, the fear of “exhibitionists” in saunas means that the vast majority of establishments offering saunas require the wearing of swimsuits.

The original article (by 20min) has 180+ comments, mostly echoing the article which itself is based on a questionaire by Baden's Fortyseven.

_lydia.selenofilia

𝑆𝑖 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑎 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑧𝑎,

𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑎́𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑧𝑎 𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑠..

𝙎𝙤𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙚 𝙡𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙖 𝙋𝙖𝙯 🌿⛰️💚

#AlmaLibre #NocheEstrellasBañosTermales

#disfrutona #librecomoelviento #MeEncanta

Rising

stajnernina at Grič pri Klevevžu (Slovenia)

What a day!

#travel #travelphotography #travelblogger #travelblog

It's always difficult to get these updates concerning recent publications of Eurosoaking culture underway.  How will I present these? Based on topics? Countries? Do we have a lead article? Should it just be photo's?

Much from the following originates from Iceland, partially due to the language used, partially due to the many tourists vis-à-vis locals as well as (impartially) its' soaking culture and soaking surroundings.

Perhaps the lack of news might allow me to get away with posting more pictures ...

Anyway. Let's start with the quirky. Geothermal food. Thinkgeoenergy (Nov. 25) adds to the list geothermal pizza:

'Reported by Deutsche Welle, a pizzaria in Naples in Sicily/ Italy is maturing its low-yeast pizza dough in caves of tuff for up to 36 hours'.

Click on the article's video link to a short reportage from Deutsche Welle to see the ongoings, but also discover that the same chambers (dating from Greek times) also are used for growing basil.

reesa413 at if I'm correct France's Mont Dore

Natural hot spring pool along side the creek🏞#nature #hotspring #mountains

Pissed

In previous updates I've already reported on Budapest's hot spring parties. The Guardian continues (Jun. 4, 2016) on Budapest's hot spring parties:

'Sparties combine well-known DJs playing electro, trip-hop, hip-hop, funk and trance with light, video and laser visual effects and unlimited alcohol. And thanks to founder Laszlo Laki, whose company Cinetrip began specialising in nightclub silent film projections shortly after the fall of communism, they have been running for almost 20 years. Nowadays, there’s a party almost every Saturday; in the summer at the aforementioned Széchenyi baths (known as “Szecska” to Budapeštas, it’s Europe’s largest thermal baths, with temperatures ranging from 27C to 38C), and at residents’ favourite Lukács in the winter months. There are also two Cinetrip “mega parties” annually: one in August and one pre-New Year’s Eve.

...

We’re not sure what to expect from the Sparty – would it be a crazy continental piss-up, or a “lads on tour” nightmare?

...

As soon as we descend the stairs, we are surrounded by drunk semi-naked people drinking lethally strong mojitos. It’s freezing cold and raining a bit but we’re fine once we’re in the water – which is so hot it creates a cloud of rising steam above everyone’s heads. If it weren’t for the pumping music, the flashing lights and lasers, it would be a bit like having a beer in a hot bath, which is not unpleasant. 

...

We have a good dance but, as the night wears on and the pool becomes even more packed, we decide we’ve had enough. My boyfriend says he senses the atmosphere change as people get more hammered. Certainly on TripAdvisor there are posts mentioning problems with groping, and condoms in the pool. We don’t witness any of that and the organisers take security very seriously, ...'.

It's worth looking at the reviews on Tripadvisor itself to see whether or not it's your (hot) cup of tea.

As a side note there's this list from skyscanner (Apr. 2015) of Budapest's best baths.

Or you could look for the 15 best sauna's of Budapest (Foursquare, Nov. 8).

Or there is this from ruanawayjuno (Dec. 28):

'A Guide to Budapest’s Thermal Baths'. 

Quite thorough guide and list.

Indoor soaking. jurismetums at Vardzia, Aspindzis Raioni, Georgia

Pietiktu veco padomju šķūni aizvietot ar pamatīgāku ēku, un par iespēju plunčāties šajā karstā minerālūdens baseinā varētu prasīt prāvu samaksu, taču būs zudis tas Gruzijas smeķis... Mums bija iespēja divvientulībā baudīt Džavahetijas termālos sērūdeņus par pat ļoti simbolisku maksājumu vīram ar šķūnīša atslēgu (18.09.2016.). #gruzija #gruzijasmirkļi #latvietisgruzijā #kaukāzs #mazaiskaukāzs #samčedžavahetija #džavahetija #baseins #sēravots #karstieavoti #termālieūdeņi #minerālūdens #georgia #georgiacountry #republicofgeorgia #caucasus #caucasia #lessercaucasus #samtshejavakheti #javakheti #thermalwater #thermalsprings #pool #mineralwater #hotsprings #spa

Sunset

The baths of Bagnaccio (Lazio, Italy) are to be managed. Managed differently that is.

Il Messaggero (Jan. 5) reports that as of March this year, it's proposed that associations (private / public?) can bid for management. Standards have been set. 

From the translation of the article it's unclear to me what may now well occur to the currently semi-public run hot spring. Let's hope for either little change or at least adequate public access without paying exorbitant entry fees.

zerbo89 at Bormio's Pozza di Leonardo

#povertàtime #pozza #sorpresa #sistavapeggioquandosistavameglio #ciccionichesbucano #snow #terme #termefaidate #lanatura #altrochebagninuoviovecchi #ghiacciolo #circolazione #solopozza

Australia's thoughts on Germans and their bathing culture? Australia's Travellers.com (Nov. 21):

'But for Olympic levels of nuding up in public, the laurel wreath – or maybe fig leaf – must be presented to the Germans.

...
Though there have been reports in recent years about the decline of nudity in the open air, there's one place that the sun will never set on naked Germany – its public baths'.

What follows is a review of three public sauna's / bathing houses in Hamburg, Köln and München.

maritajill

 Alhaman de Granada is famous for its hot springs. Perfect for a cool day. Although the Spa is closed until April, we're enjoying the warm mineral waters that flow into pools outside. Free to all. #Andalusia #travelspain #spainiswonderful #hotsprings #spain🇪🇸 #granadaspain #naturalspring #AlhamadeGranada #balneario #warmwater #spaintravel #baños #españa #thermalbaths

Illing

Greece a paradise for soakers? Greek-is.com (Jan.3) believes so:

'With about 800 locations of natural curative resources, most of which are water-related, Greece could be described as a paradise of healing spas. Still, most remain undeveloped: only 34 springs have been officially recognized so far, while recognition of another 60 is pending'.

Who needs official recognition?

Concerning ancient Greece:

'For the Athenians, both hot and cold baths were an indicator of civilization and a part of everyday life.

On the other hand, the Spartans and Macedonians, both fierce warrior tribes, preferred cold waters and avoided the balaneia, where they believed the heat just made one soft. The Spartans made an exception for the pyriaterio, which they used to work up a sweat before diving into the ice-cold waters of the River Eurotas to toughen themselves up'.

el_bennet on Lesbos

#girl #hotsprings #lesvos #island #greece #time

Finally on modernity:

'The Greek spa towns enjoyed one last period of glory in the 1960s and 70s, as the new middle class began to vacation there, taking advantage of their proximity to the sea. Naturally, spas were no longer a high-priority treatment option and were only used incidentally by those preferring cosmopolitan beaches. Thus, they gradually came to be used only by the elderly, and their use came to be associated primarily with cures for illnesses. In this way, spas came to be regarded as destinations for the old and the ill'.

In a further article (Jan. 17) the list of Greek soaks is summoned, some high end, some more rustic.

Tremors
And then it's over to Iceland.

Iceland's love affair with non-natural geothermal heated pools continues as does it tourism influx. Latest entrant is a proposed warm beach in the northeast of the country. Reykjavik Grapevine (Jan. 17):

'RUV reports that the owners of the Blue Lagoon and Jarðböðin í Mývatnssveit, along with eleven shareholders, have committed to investing 280 million ISK to creating a “warm water beach” at Urriðavatn lake, near Egilsstaðir.

...

In implementation, geothermically heated water from a borehole near Urriðavatn will be pumped into the water to provide the sort of warm-water bathing experience '.

Nearly there, except that there's no beach ... heidarlogi 

near the Reykjanes geothermal power station

 A hidden gem where the warm geothermal water runs into the ocean.
📷 @ellithor

A first hand soaking report (where have they gone?) from Gurrity on soaking at Seljavallalaug (Apr. 2016):

'Several times throughout that trip, we all talked about the importance of soaking up every single moment — and as often as we could remember to, we put our phones away and I kept my camera at my side, and we would soak up every sound, every breeze, and every scent. With every blink, every breath, I knew it would be more and more painful to leave.

We hung around the pool waiting for an older couple to leave, and when we finally had the pool to ourselves, we stripped down and got in, because yolo (or, “yoiio,” which we coined for “you’re only in Iceland once,” which obviously did not apply to me). And shortly after, the Santa Barbara grad I mentioned before showed up, and timidly joined us. He was so nervous to have stumbled upon four skinny dippin’ ladies that his hand trembled when we passed him our flask of bourbon. And every time we forced him to be our photographer [see photo above]'.

Take off

What is it with prudists and bathing at the more public (read less natural) hot springs in Iceland? 

Icelandic tradition and (sensible) hygiene decorum means having a naked shower pre-soaking is the only way to go. But it seems that whatever the intentions of this rule are, prudish bathers feel that their civil rights (and tourist rights) are trampled on.  

Tripadvisor has a discussion kicking off on December 23 concerning the Blue Lagoon showers: what do they look like? 

Seems like a very serious question, though hardly relevant. But later on it seems the requester fears his co-trippers. When someone notes that apparently no one had showered naked, it was seen as a sign of disrespect. The whole discussion notches 16 replies.

But not even a month (November 30) before, Tripadvisor has the same kind of question. Naked showering required? This time 32 replies, all quite similar to the first mentioned discussion.

Meanwhile, Iceland itself is more concerned about equal treatment for either gender whilst soaking in a more public setting. And the question is are females allowed the same clothing  freedoms attributed to males?

The Icelandic Monitor reports (Jan. 16):

'A student at the University of Iceland was told to leave the pool in the small town of Akranes on Saturday for swimming without a bikini top'. 

Apparently this was not very (modern?) Icelandic culture.

Stella Briem ‏@StellaBriem 1 nov. 2016

Þetta instagram censored mál þarf að vera meira umtalað. Þetta er fokking FÁRÁNLEGT.

Later that day, the same source reported from the nation's capital:

'Following news of a woman being shown out of a pool in the small town of Akranes in Iceland, the directors of the City of Reykjavik sports and recreation department (ÍTR) have confirmed that guests of the city's swimming pool are welcome whether they wear a top or not as part of their swimwear ensemble'. 

Surely, equal gender treatment if not universal, should within the same nation have the same standards / requirements. An explanation please!?
 

mkryan 

Finally took my coat off

Beauty

More or less on the same topics as above I came across this recent (Jan. 3) Facebook posting by Caitlin McCormick:

'There's a whole crap-ton of pressure this time of year to get skinnier and/or more jacked, and I'm feeling self-critical and tired. It's easy to feel overindulgent, misshapen, and wrong. So to combat it, for myself and you, I want to share a moment of grace I had this last year.
When I was in Iceland with Chris a couple months ago, one of many awesome things we did was go to a public "pool." Their public pools are fed by hot springs and look like the multi-level lounging kinds of pools they have at Caribbean resorts. They're all over the place, and Reykjavik has a few. They're public meeting spaces and a way to survive, or even enjoy, the long dark days of winter and even the temperate summers. All of them are about 95-110 degrees, so basically giant hot tubs.
Part of the Icelandic pool thing is that everyone must shower first. Totally nude, you have to soap up, hair and body, in a large open communal shower room. I guess some Americans freak out about this. I was a tiny bit nervous, but there are lots of blog posts that give you the whole process in detail, so I felt prepared. We paid our way in (five bucks or so), and I went alone into the women's locker room. Ladies were stripping down. Females of all ages, from infants to the elderly, hovered around in various states of undress. Women were storing their things in lockers and heading to the showers without bothering to hide in a towel or robe. Apparently there are even people at the locker room doors to be sure everyone has showered, but it didn't feel militaristic in any way. It was just... normal.
In the showers themselves, twenty shower heads pointed into one big room with lavender-scented body soap dispensers on the walls. There were some plastic IKEA high chairs for babies and even a couple of low baby tubs for the tiniest ones. We moved about this room, naked as jay birds, lathering and cleaning and actually enjoying the hot water. And there was this feeling that I've never had in American locker rooms: shamelessness. People weren't hiding or even avoiding others. Twelve year old girls giggled together while they washed their hair. A baby in her high chair was washed by her mom. An older woman sang to herself and danced in the spray with her granddaughter. And there were bodies of every size, age, and color. And shape. And hue. And hair color. And boob size. And nipple size/color. And pubic hair decision. And hip. And back fat. And height. And butt cellulite. And eye color. There were punk chicks and there were nerdy girls and there were women whose bellies showed the babies they'd carried. Even though Iceland is very white, there was lots of racial diversity in this social catch-all place. There was a woman with one arm.
Don't think I'm weird for looking. I wasn't studying anyone, we were all just there. Every single female body variant was present, and everyone was comfortable in her skin. We smiled and nodded to each other, strangers chatted, no worry or shyness or shame.
It was so enlightening because it was so obvious to me in that moment that:
1.) we are only given one general body type to consider, as women - in clothing ads, movies, tv shows, everything - as if there's only one body type and it exists everywhere (except, of course, our own) - and that body type (lean, average height, maybe curves but no cellulite, thin hips, flat stomach, modest boob, no defined muscles, no assistive devices, and always a visible bony clavicle) is SO INACCURATE; and
2.) there are a million ways that the female body looks, and it's always beautiful. ALWAYS. That's what I felt in that space. Every body is normal and beautiful and perfect'.

hanhepiwii 

Termes naturals al ríu le tet

Primer contacto con el norte de Cataluña y Francia.

Sentí que el otoño me abrazaba a base de colores, paisajes que conquistan los ojos de cualquiera.

Baños de azufre caliente que te dejan la piel arrugada y nueva

Francesas que te enamoran leyendo poesía..

💕

#termas #naturalezaviva #hotriver #camping #fontpedrouse #naturalspring

Naturali

kail0ve 

Morning dip 💦

A winter edition? Sort of, there's not really much to highlight, some snippets of news here and there while trailing through Europe.

Let's start with amaement: it sometimes amazes me that there are quite a few hot springs out there which are unknown and are simply waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves. Take in and around Italy's Toscane region.

Unfortunately the moment of revelation is when money steps in; there is certainly a lack of info on non-commercial springs.  

The latest: a new terme has opened in Central Italy, the Terme di Vulci. Etruriaoggi.it (Sep. 11) reports how this has taken nearly 8 years to realize. 

It just exemplifies how many natural hot soaks are unknown and seem only to be dragged out of this situation with the assistance of business. Surely there must be a niche for rambling and rustic undeveloped soaks? As below ...

laopina at Tuscany's Bagni San Filippo:

 Perché niente è cambiato anche se tutto sembra diverso

#bagnisanfilippo #terme #termenaturali #wild #bosco #nature #naturelovers #valdorcia #toscana #italy #travel #explore #neverstopexploring #wanderlust #landscape #blue #siena #paradise #amazing #ig_toscana #igerstoscana #naturephotography #liveauthentic

There is though an article of Italy's best wild hot springs (Culturetrip.com, Oct. 18). 

belinha3 in north Portugal

O dia que o meu telemóvel conheceu a água! 😰♨ 🇪🇸#torneros #termas #geres #xeres #tbvacation #wanttogoback

Sascha's soaks

Lukovska Banja, Serbia

Lukovska Banja is a beautiful small town with mainly old people that come here to cure rheumatism and other illnesses. There are only 2 hotels in the town that are often sold out. But many private stays are available, so you will definitively find a place to sleep. I stayed one night here and it was enough to visit the highlights of the town: apart from the hot springs at the end of the village there is a little church on a mountain, some souvenir shops and that’s it. 


Several hot springs with different mineralization comes out with 33°-44°C. Most people go the pools where the muddy water is 35°C warm to cure rheumatism and put only their legs in the pools. 


But soaking is also possible if you don’t mind the legs around you. What is much more beautiful is to soak in the crystal clear water right next to the pools close the river. However, the water is 44°C hot, so the game is to find a cooler place and then go the real hot pool.

Great for relaxing and getting the admiration of old Serbian ladies that watch you from above. There is also a possibility to rent a small pool house on your own against a small fee.   

My evaluation: 3 of 5 stars

 After climbing up Veľký Choč mountain (Slovakia), it's time for a soak. Source

Roots

A photographic overview of Tiermas thermal springs and sulphur mud, Navarra, Spain (blog a 33.000 pies, Oct. 2).
It describes how every autumn the waters of the adjacent hydro lake recede, giving the opportunity to enjoy the hot waters once again. 

It also reports of plans to redevelop the site complete with spa hotel (noooo...). 

Not having been here (well, factually I have, but it was submerged at the time) it would be a great loss to what it stands for today: a ramshackle uncontrolled place of serenity. From the article:

'The  nudism  has also taken root in the hot springs. The sun solidifies the mud on the naked body of Villavés  Fran Pardo, 53. His two huge blue eyes way through the slime open. "I come for six years," he says, lamenting the service that is acquiring this natural environment. "Please do not post the report on Sunday ... wait a bit," begs a man with a towel over his shoulder. There are only umbrellas. The path that descends from the N-240  enthusiastic over the three members of the music group guess  Duo Kolingo. "We come from the  Bardena  recording a video clip," smiles  Coline Guillemin, recognizing that they have had to leave because the Civil Guard has "caught" them without the permission of recording. "And we have decided to stop back to visit this site that we have heard so much."'

The author's article which was published in the Dairio de Navarra (Oct. 3) has certainly encouraged more visitors as there is an uptick in Tiermas references on Instagram, f.i.:
 

19gabi72

 '#Tiermas, #Pantano de Yesa'

Cautious

'The ultimate list of Turkey's thermal springs'

? From the Daily Sabah (Sep. 30), it does cite sources of 1000 or more hot springs in Turkey alone, though it only presents nearly 10. So much for ultimate ..., more hurrahs for lovers of natural soaking.

Not mentioned = not bad. Take this hot spring from the Ararat.trek website:

'Diyadin, in the eastern part of Turkey, is located 7 km SE of Agrl The distribution of hot water springs in Diyadin Region roughly parallels the distribution of the fault systems and young volcanism. In the east of the region there is Dogu Beyazıt, in the west Tasllçay, in the South Ercis (Van) and in the southwest Çaldıran, Muradiye. Paleozoic and Senozoic rocks are exposed around the Diyadin area. Paleozoic metamorphic rocks (e.g. micaschist, quartzite and marbles) comprise the basement in the area.
...

Strike slip faults and tensional cracks developed due to the N-S compression in the region. Therfore, thermal water and gases come out from the most of the cracks to the surface. In the study area there are lots of thermal and mineralized water springs close to each other. Their temperatures is 24-64°C and their flowrate is 0.5-10 l/s. The discharge locality of thermal water springs can frequently be change due to CaCO3 depsition on the outlets of the springs. Yılanlı kireçli, Köprü, Davutlu, Kusburnu, Tazekent, Dibekli and Mola Kir thermal springs are observed at the Diyadin geothermal field. Drilling studies in the Diyadin area were started in 1998 by General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration of Turkey MTA. As a result of drilling of 6 wells with a depth of 72-215 m, thermal water with a discharge of 560 l/s and with a temperature of 62-78ºC was produced. In addition of these 15 km away from Diyadin Kusburnu there are thermal water springs with a temperature between 40 and 60°C and two drilling wells in which temperatures vary between 37 and 73°C in Mola Kir village'.

A first hand report from Armenia's winter:
 

 Si, con queso por favor 

Following the river along the valley and ducking through low hanging trees we spot the ultimate goal when a patch of bubbling orange water appears in front of us. This spring is bigger and you’re easily able to fit a couple of people in it but more importantly, it’s also much warmer. Spreading out our raincovers we leave our packs on the snow, peel off our soaking wet shoes and socks and strip down to our shorts and bikini. Having not seen a single person or even a footprint, and with the only way to get here at this time of year to hike in, we decide to throw caution to the wind and opt for a skinny dip instead. The serenity of this stunning location is only interrupted by the bubbling gases of the spring which come up, sometimes rather violently and stinky, every seven minutes. Otherwise we enjoy the warm water and sunshine while Mother Nature’s beauty soothes us after two weeks in Armenia’s bustling capital.

Dispatcheseurope.com (Oct. 21) on the hot springs of Bulgaria:

'Today, Bulgaria ranks among the first in Europe in terms of wealth and diversity of hydrothermal waters and bioclimatic treatment resorts, with the Velingrad area south of Sofia claiming the highest density of thermal spas'.  

Big advantages, it claims, are Bulgaria's climate and affordability. Pity the info relates solely to commercial establishments, there are probably quite a few free soaks a well in Bulgaria.

Did we know there's a geothermal museum in France? 

La Montagne (Aug. 10) has an article (in French) on the Musée Géothermie located in the village of Chaude Aigues, which in Occitan language stands for hot water ...

mariaiglesiascoll 

Banyets diferents 🙊 #banhsdarties #aiguacalenta #natura #banyetsnaturals #banystermals #nautaran #valldaran

Silence

cosedrzizapatu 

Bathing after a hike in Ateni valley in our favourite sulphur outdoor hot springs. Sharing the communal place with locals who decided to throw a traditional "supra" next to the pool and get us drunk. #sulphurbaths #georgia #atenivalley #hiking #supra

From Georgia (above) to Greece, where art and hot springs are combined (artforum.com, Aug. 1):

For the third summer running, Joannides’s Sterna Art Project set up camp in an old-fashioned spa hotel located next to the crumbling Baths of Mandraki in Loutra, which were to house the exhibition at the outcome of our residency.

...

Poet Quinn Latimer used the thermal baths, fueled by hot springs, for daily, twenty-minute one-on-one reading sessions staged in adjoining cubicles. That way the reading partners could (just about) hear without seeing one another “taking the waters” in their respective bathtubs. The acoustic or acousmatic potential of the baths was not lost on her partner, sound artist Paolo Thorsen-Nagel. “It’s like the Pythagorean veil,” he noted, alluding to pupils of Pythagoras who absorbed the philosopher’s teachings in silence from behind a veil-like partition.

From wallpaper.com:

'Sterna Art Project 2016 presents 'Experimental Education Protocol' at the Baths of Mandraki on Nisyros Island, inviting nine international artists and curators to participate. Pictured: Nisyros, by Panos Kokkinias, 2016. Produced for Sterna Art Project 2016. Photography: Panos Kokkinias'

More non-functional hot springs from Greece, though this one (Elefteres) does see it's fair share of soakers:

pasxalisalexandros 

#beauty #hotsprings #nature #recovery

Party 

Hot springs and party time: apparently Budapest has exactly that on offer. Hungary's Business Insider (Mar. 7):

'They don’t call Budapest the “City of Baths” for nothing, as the the Hungarian capital is full of beautiful historic baths built by the Romans. Every weekend, these ancient thermal spas are transformed into absolute ragers —replete with lasers, light shows, live DJs and plenty of booze — thanks to events like Magic Bath and Cinetrip'.

Apparently Spartybooking.com organises these fests and calls itself 

'The Bath Party Brand'

I must say they do put a lot of effort into regulating and respecting the waters / venue.

Sparty at Széchenyi thermal bath, Facebook

There's also a New Years party upcoming (source).

Want to take a soak in Budapest, but not loose too much money in the process? Dailynewshungary (Jun. 21) has an article concerning

'The top 10 cheapest open-air baths and spas in Budapest'

Dailynewshungary (Sep. 24) has an article on their upcoming 

'Day of the Hungarian Bath Culture'

It notes:

'The Day of the Hungarian Bath Culture was first organised on the 9th of October, 2010, and since then the Hungarian Baths Association celebrates the day on the second Saturday of October every year. The aim of the event is to present the values of the Hungarian bath culture and the popularisation of the baths, which comes with a number of different thematic programmes each year.
...
According to the Hungarian Baths Association’s announcement, more baths joined the event than ever, and all of them welcome guests with several programmes, discounted prices and extended opening hours. You can find details about the programmes on the association’s website. 
According to the Hungarian Baths Association’s announcement, more baths joined the event than ever, and all of them welcome guests with several programmes, discounted prices and extended opening hours. You can find details about the programmes on the association’s website'.

Spirited

adnil at Landbrotalaug

Island jag saknar dig. #niceland #hotpot #lavaland #badavarjedag

New ways to exploit tourists have been found in Iceland. Steer them away from nature's bounty and invite them to a concrete castle. Taxitravel.is (Oct. 30):

'Here is a pretty remarkable fact. If you take a shower anywhere within a 65 km (40 mi) radius of Deildartunguhver hot spring in West Iceland, you have already bathed in it’s hot water.
Later this winter you will, however, be able to dip in Deildartunguhver’s geothermal water on location with brand new baths being under construction just 70 meters (230 ft) north of the natural hot spring'.

Named Krauma.

More investment into the unnatural soaking scene. This time ThinkGeoenergy (Nov. 15) quotes an article from Icelandic press concerning investments in what is called a second Blue Lagoon. Likewise conveniently located (not far from Geysir) it may miss the iconic lava rock settings.

'Blaskogarbyggd Municipal is planning to allow for a 2,000 sqm geothermal lagoon and 100 room hotel next to Efri Reykir.  The company Efri-Reykir ltd has estimated investments to be around $44m and will create 70-100 jobs'.

Other good news: it's not using existing natural hot springs, rather an older borehole. 

I do wonder, are these developments positive for the natural soaking? They enhance the appeal of soaking on the one hand, while on the other they monopolize those tourists less interested in the natural part of soaking.
With competition heating up, should some of these investments focus on better niche marketing; they all seem copies of each other, albeit in different settings.

Heating up? The Reykjavik Grapevine (Sep. 19) blames a geothermal power plant of causing minor earthquakes:

'A series of quakes reported over the past few days may be connected to the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant.

RÚV reports that a tremor measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale was recorded near Húsmúla at Hellisheiði at about 23:30 last night, followed 20 minutes later by another quake measuring 3.0. The earthquakes were reportedly felt in Hveragerði, Mosfellsbær and Kópavogur, followed by several smaller aftershocks.

As it turns out, fluid re-injection for the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant takes place at Húsmúla, and as this process can lead to tremors, it might be the culprit behind the quakes'.

corginaut

Celebratory, end-of-trip champagne with @intpunk in the Hveragerdi hot springs! BM conclave performance was a wild success, my conference presentation (somehow) wasn't a train wreck, I had a couple inspiring conversations with some research superheroes this past week, my paper was just accepted into Geophysical Research Letters, and I've had some real personal growth moments in the face of some shitty obstacles this past summer. This is the most relaxed I've been in weeks. Feeling joyous and grateful for the opportunities I've had and the friends that supported and encouraged me along the way. #Iceland #love #hotsprings #sentimental #nekked #champagne #decompression #happy #realscientists #tipsygram

 Travel bites (Oct. 27) has a great entry entitled

In search of water – natural hot pots in the Westfjords

It notes how it's not only the zen of soaking in serenity but the search for the hot pots themselves make the reward even greater. Also visit their instagram page.

Finally, some slightly off-topic news: vodka made by using lava (rock) to filter. Talesofthecocktail.com (Sep. 30, 2015):

'The spring water and spirit are filtered through lava rocks (rather than charcoal), collected from neighboring lava fields. First, the spirit is filtered through the rocks as a vapor. It is then filtered through the rocks a second time as a liquid. 
...  
“To keep our vodka (as well as the planet) clean, geothermal energy is used to power the Reyka distillery,” says Trevor Schneider, a Reyka Ambassador. “In fact, our distillery is one of the only geothermal distilleries in the world. Boiling water from the earth is used to preheat our spirit, allowing us to keep the process pollution free.”

Guided to this article by ThinkGeoenergy (Sep. 2).

aggieabroad 

A good friend knows all your stories. A best friend helped you write them.

#Iceland #bestoficeland #exploreiceland #inspiredbyiceland #niceland #hotsprings #hrunalaug #shewantsadventure #openmyworld #mytinyatlas #stayandwander #lifeofadventure #outdoorlove #itsinmynature #takeitoutside #tioutsiders #keepitwild #natureaddict #360dreams #stayandwander #girlslovetravel #wanderlust #passionpassport #instapassport #instatravel #travelgram #travel #instatravel