Fosso Bianco & more termes of Italy pt 3 — the journey , what fuels me to get to hot springs … lots of pasta 🍝 and a passion for honoring life. ❤️🔥Visiting the hot springs of Tuscany with a new friend 💋 🥰, my trusty thermomotter 🦦 and my grandparents, was special seeing everyone soak in the healing. My sidekick mini Stevie 🐺 also enjoyed the steam 🌬️Incredible in the last video to see Fosso Bianco with many people enjoying at nearly dark, then like in my recent photos.. we had it to ourselves for the most amazing sunrise over hot springs I’ve seen yet ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
What's hot? Or not?
Hot spring guides (Jul. 7) on Greece's Thermopylae:
'The springs are not recommended for families with young children. The site is entirely unmanaged, there is no lifeguard, and the combination of hot water and irregular slippery rock presents genuine risk for small children. Older teenagers with good physical confidence can manage the site, but the environment rewards caution. The therma loutra character of this spring is entirely informal; visitors assess conditions themselves and soak at their own discretion.For solo travelers and small groups comfortable with undeveloped natural settings, the springs offer a distinctive experience unlike any organized hot spring facility in Greece. Natural hot springs in Greece of this historical significance are rare, and the combination of ancient thermal activity and battlefield heritage makes Thermopylae unlike any other site in the country. A short daylight visit with practical expectations is the best approach: bring a towel, water, water shoes, and a change of clothes, and treat the stop as a brief soak rather than a full day out'.
An entry on Serbia ((Jul. 25), found on Facebook). Translated:
'Looking for a place without the crowds of tourists, where you can recharge, improve your health, and admire the natural beauty? Save the coordinates: Visočka Banja, hidden in the canyon of one of the cleanest rivers in Europe – Veliki Rzav. This amazing natural phenomenon has existed for over 80,000 years. Warm geothermal springs flow out right from the rock cliffs at the water's edge. Under pressure, the water temperature remains +27°C all year round, and literally a meter away from them flows an ice-cold mountain river'.
So not so hot.
The official Spanish tourism website presents (May 26) an overview (or their overview) of Spain's thermal treasures. They didn't do too much research, only 4 thermal locations!
diXxfrutÓn!!✨
Guise
In this section, we move to the sauna world. And start off by reviewing the new.
Nearby.
Amsterdam's Parool reports (Jun. 8) on the (changing?) sauna scene of the capital. And how smaller sauna's are leading the way; at least for the younger crowd.
From owners of a floating sauna (translated):
The article continues:'According to the owners, 'social saunaing' is the central concept: the sauna as a place for meeting and relaxation'.
'The rates for these mini-saunas are, in any case, less elitist: whereas you pay at least 45 euros for daytime entry to wellness resorts like Spa Zuiver or Spa Weesp, at Badhus a membership costs 25 euros per month allowing you to visit the sauna twice. According to urban sociologist Roos Gerritsma, who conducts research into Urban Leisure at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, among other subjects, these relatively low prices for short sauna visits are one of the factors why sauna hubs are popular among millennials. “Some of them are already aware at a young age of the importance of a healthy lifestyle to keep up with their busy lives.”At the same time, many millennials are being efficient about where they spend their money and who they spend time with, says Gerritsma. “Spending a whole day at a wellness center, trying out multiple saunas and often having lunch in between, is not only expensive but also takes a lot of time. A quick visit to the mini-sauna is a form of passive wellness where the effort and time are minimal, but the effect is enormous: it cleanses body and mind and also has a preventive effect.”...Joanna Wojtkowiak, an assistant professor at the University of Humanistic Studies who has conducted research into changing rituals, among other things, views the revival of (social) sauna culture as an example of how 'ritual emptiness' is being addressed in this day and age. That emptiness, she says, has arisen from secularization and individualism in society. “It is an old practice in a new guise. A ritual gains meaning through the 'how', that is, through the manner in which a practice is performed with attention and reflection.”
Having just visited Sweden, I can relay that Swedish public sauna's are few and far between. Surprised? Then again, private ownership is huge.
But it seems that Stockholm is possibly seeing it's first public sauna. That's accouding to the Guardian (May 17):
'There is little doubt that Stockholm is a city of sauna-goers. All year round, from early morning to late into the night, the city’s residents can be seen emerging from wooden huts, a trail of woodsmoke coming from the chimney, and lowering themselves into the deep brackish waters of the Swedish capital’s shoreline.
But, for locals and visitors alike, getting access to one of these saunas can be a bit like getting into the world’s most exclusive private members’ clubs: the most popular waterside venues have years-long waiting lists of thousands and when new places open up they disappear in minutes. While a proportion of spots are sometimes bookable to non-members, they are difficult to come by.
...
The scarcity is thrown into particularly sharp relief by the sauna scene in its Nordic neighbours. In the Norwegian capital, Oslo, despite a huge rise in popularity over the last decade, it is relatively easy to get a same-day sauna spot at one of the seven Oslo Sauna Association floating saunas. In Helsinki, Finland, where the ability to sauna is considered an essential part of daily life, there is an abundance of public saunas and even a waterside community-run sauna.
...
Stockholm’s authorities say the sauna is part of a wider quay-side strategy aimed at opening up the city’s waterfronts, including new areas for swimming, walkways and seating areas.
It is also planning new guidelines requiring all sauna slots in the city centre to be fully publicly available to book.
The new booking rules have been criticised by some sauna associations, which say it could make it difficult to maintain the old membership model, which they say makes it cheaper for regular sauna users.
Karlsson believes the city and privately-run models “complement one another” and that the city’s pricing means they will not be undercutting other saunas.
But, at 150 kronor (£12) for 90 minutes, which is more expensive than guest sessions at many privately run saunas, the cost could be prohibitively expensive for some. Initially everybody will pay the same rate, but Karlsson said they would look at different pricing structures for students and pensioners once they have a sense of demand'.
TimeOut (Jun. 1) reports on developments in Copenhagen:
'Copenhagen, already well-known for its bracing harbour plunges and saunas, is about to become even more of a hotspot for swimmers and bathers with the opening of the brand-new Water Culture House. The bathhouse will take up residence on Copenhagen Harbour, neighbouring the city’s Opera house, later this year.It’s been designed by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, and will house a ‘water culture centre’ as well as a wellness centre and community facilities. According to the official website, the building will be made from solid brick stumps, arranged with tactical gaps to allow light to filter through the walls and then reversed at night, allowing light to be emitted through these gaps from inside'.
Lot's of blah blah.
Resting Dragon (Jul. 11) heads for Bad Ragaz, Switzerland:
'Bad Ragaz has the best water of any thermalbad I’ve visited. Technically classified as chloride-hydrogen carbonate-sulphate water, it has a thick, fizzy feel. My skin is always silky after a few minutes bathing in it, and my sore muscles are soothed. There’s only two downsides. First, the baths are often busy, even outside of peak season, and there’s a lot of families, which is great if you have kids with you, but can make it more difficult to relax otherwise. Second, the water is fairly cold. It comes from its source, the Tamina Gorge, at 36.5 C, and while some of the pools are heated further, they are small compared to the cooler ones. As far as I can tell, the Tamina Therme doesn’t adjust the pool temperature seasonally, like some spas do....
It’s hard to describe the vibe that makes Sauna World so great, but I’ll try. Everyone there is chill and friendly, even if you don’t speak the same language (which you probably wont). No one is creepy, even a bit. Etiquette is immaculate, in fact, staff once politely spoke to me for sitting in the sauna on my bath robe instead of a towel'.
Outside (Jul. 1) research this:
'Therme Group, Europe’s wellness behemoth, is planning to open stadium-sized health spas across the USA. Are Americans ready for Roman baths? We traveled to Bucharest to find out'.
It's an extensive article revolving around the experience of Therme Bucharest. And whether or not the US is ripe for such developments:
'Therme [Bucharest] is crowded in winter (with Germans wanting to look at palm trees) and summer (with guests from all over wanting a vaguely exotic beach-resort-ish experience, minus the hassle and cost of traveling to an actual beach resort). More than that, I got the sense that it was a place that people go because it’s a place that other people go. The people are part of the attraction, and Instagram keeps them coming, to take selfies against the soaring glass roof, the seductive blue pools, the lush indoor jungle, the sense of scale and space. Which is also part of the attraction.Therme’s business is based on the German Thermes ...
It doesn't really answer whether or not an investment of 500$ million will pay itself back. Or whether the US appetite for these wellness Disney sites are on.
Lessons to learn at Therme ErdingA visit to Europe's largest spa raises questions U.S. naturism hasn't answered
Torn
Doing the rounds at the moment is the documentary the Changing Worlds of the Morrocan Hammams. There's a trailer. By Sauna Channel.
Film freeway (Jan. 19, 2026):
'Narrated by bathing and travel enthusiast Francis Mathew, the film blends personal stories with rare access to reveal how historical and cultural threads are being torn apart and what is at stake. The documentary explores how ancient traditions endure or vanish in a rapidly changing world'.There's a lot of sauna related items coming from / co-inspired by the upcoming Sauna congress in Oslo.
SaunaTimes (May 26) has an interview with Oslo's The Well's Ingrid G. Motrøen, Chief Marketing Officer:
'From the beginning, The Well was inspired by continental bathing culture and the idea that wellness is about more than treatments alone. Over the years, we’ve continued to refine and strengthen that direction'.
Sauna Times also has an interview (June 15) with Lasse Eriksen who is the Development Manager of Farrisbad (Larvik, Norway). It's actually a very good interview, over an hour long. Well, worth a listen.
Slightly different news, a popular public sauna (Sompasauna) in Finland reports (June 23) on vandalism / stealing at their location.
Банна церемонія від якої я кайфанула не менше за дівчат 🌿Дякую кожній, хто розділила зі мною цей день🤍
Repressed?
Filling out this section seems never to be a problem. Due to the content?
Thisisyules (Jun. 17) starts us off with sharing on instagram, her experience at Hotel Nesslerhof (Salzurg, Austria). Especially highlighting the clothesfree possibilities. More than 8000 hearts are shared as well as many comments. And in these comments section, the pro's need to have scientific arguments to convince the cons, who rely on their own beliefs ...:
'Ist interessant hier die Kommentare zu lesen und vorallem wieviel gegen Textilfrei sind. Woran liegt das? Verklemmt auf Grund der Erziehung, Religion, nicht dem oft suggeriertem Körperideal entsprechend oder blödsinnige Verbindung von Textilfrei und Erotik?Ich stamme aus dem Osten, entspreche in keinster Weise dem Idealmaß, mach trotzdem seit Jahrzehnten FKK, weil es nix nervigeres gibt als nasse Badeklamotten. Von daher finde ich es super, dass es solche textilfreien Einrichtungen gibt'.
She also shares a code for a discount.
An older find (Jan. 6, 2025), a Swiss article from the University of Basel questioning whether we have all became prudes:
'In den Schwitzstuben der Schweiz trifft man hüllenlos aufeinander. Frau und Mann. Chefs und Angestellte. Topverdienerinnen und Sozialhilfebezüger. Wer man war und ist, spielt keine Rolle. In der Nacktheit ist man gleich. Bislang. Denn gerade verschiebt sich etwas....My body, my choice – mein Körper, meine Entscheidung. Die Parole hört man bei Strassenprotesten, wenn es um sexuelle Gewalt gegen Frauen geht, darum, das Recht auf eine Abtreibung zu verteidigen. Nun drängt sie auch in die Schwitzkabinen. Badeanzug und Bikini als feministischer Akt.Offen bleibt, wie sich das weiter auswirkt. Was die Aufladung der Nacktheit mit uns macht. Vielleicht besteht auch die Gefahr, dass wir ein Stück Ungezwungenheit verlieren. Und Selbstvergessenheit. An einem der letzten Orte, wo das noch möglich ist'.
On the Sauna Congress 2026 (Oslo) website an article (Jul. 9) by sauna expert Mikkel Aaland. At a presentation, he was corrected by a woman who said that in Finland there's no co-ed naked sauning. Mikkel disagreed:
'What are my thoughts on co-ed nudity?Personally, I am more comfortable bathing naked, regardless of who I am with. I equate nudity with sensuality but not with sexuality.I always bring a clean towel to sit on, but that's all. I also respect local customs and sensitivities and when necessary cover myself appropriately with a loose-fitting towel or sheet. (I avoid wearing synthetic bathing suits. They become uncomfortable in the heat, and the synthetic fabric doesn't breathe.)...On the other hand, over and over I've seen how the soothing heat of the sweat has a way of melting inhibitions. I've witnessed people who were initially body shy, relax in the womb-like environment, drop their modesty, and reveal their natural, glowing selves. The transformation is inspiring'.
HeistBerlin then seeks the opposite answer to:
'We tried out two textile-mandatory saunas to answer the question: Does Berlin really need this?
The start of an answer:
'Nobody who’s felt the joy of letting sweat flow freely from nipple to kneecap, unobstructed by sodden polyester, can possibly return to the tyranny of swimwear.Or so I thought, until I started seeing social media ads for a new breed of spa. A place filled with beautiful young people contorting themselves into yoga positions, gracefully slipping into cold plunges and dancing to techno, all while clad in trunks and bikinis.In other words, the American-style sauna has landed in Berlin. And it’s brought American prudishness with it'.
Again, considerable discussion; from Reditt this article gains some 70+ comments. This sums the discussion up (that's a "no"):
'As an occasional thing wearing a swimsuit is fine. It's not something that I'd want to have to do regularly.Places / days that require suits often come with a funky smell because nobody is washing their bits between rounds so bacteria is building up and up and up.Pools require much higher amounts of chlorine and acids to counteract the increased bacterial load from all of the people not washing their bits.Sweating under a swimsuit is just plain uncomfortable.Standing around in a wet suit, especially if dripping cold water on your legs and feet, isn't very pleasant'.
From Deutsche Welle Travel Instagram account (May 20) highlights Germany's sauna culture which (we know) entails nakedness:
'No swimsuits, no phones, and heat up to 100°C – Germany’s sauna culture can surprise first-timers. Germans swear by it for its health benefits, from boosting circulation to detoxifying the body and reducing stress'.
It combines with this ten minute youtube article which highlights the Vabali spa's and Baden-Baden:
On Instagram, Badstuprat (Jun. 24) present an interview with:
'Kim Nyheim Ragnarsson, who runs the wellness oasis just outside Oslo'.
In short:
'Not least, The Well has gone all in as the main sponsor and partner for@saunacongress2026which takes place in Oslo in September, and is looking forward to welcoming sauna enthusiasts from all over the world. 🌎In this episode we also get the answer to the ever-recurring question: do you really have to be naked at The Well?
Unfortunately it's in Norwegian, so the answer needs to be sought elsewhere ...
The Well's own site answers: Tuesday is non-nude day, other days sauna's are nude, swimming is clothing optional. But only with the Well's own swimwear.
Route North (May 26 it says, though the comments section refers to comments 10 months ago ...) on Swedish sauna etiquette:
'The first thing to remember is that, for many Swedes, there’s nothing particularly odd (or sexy) about getting naked in the sauna.Not having clothes sticking to your skin just makes the whole sauna experience a bit more comfortable. Some purists even consider it unhygienic to bring swimwear into the sauna.On a social level, there’s also a certain honesty to being completely naked. In the sauna, everyone is exposed, and (in theory, at least) everyone is equal'.
DestinationClothesfree has updated (April 2026) it's entry on European spa etiquette. Lots to be concerned about?
'European clothes-free spas operate by a set of rules that most visitors only discover once they have broken one. The nudity policy tends to be the clearest requirement. What trips people up is everything else: the hygiene protocol before every sauna, the towel etiquette, the Aufguss ceremony, and the significant variation in spa culture by country'.
Finally, on nude.ru a transcript of a discussion (Feb. 27) between the website content creator (A) and a journalist (Yu) about the banya:
'Yu: The banya has become truly fashionable. How did this happen? What need did it fill?A: Perhaps it's the legitimate lifting of taboos. You're naked there, something happens to your body that you can't explain. And a set of taboos, both minor and major, suddenly comes to light. It affects you and becomes mysteriously interesting. Secondly, there's the trend toward national identity. And thirdly, all the trends from other markets have migrated to the banya. For example, strong design, not "izba style." Even public bathhouses are getting decent repairs. The banya is no longer just a steam room; we eat properly there, look normal, and we now have decent hats and bath rags'.
Девки, привет! Вы спрашивали - мы отвечаем. Вот она наша тату-мастерица @gribkova_tattooer . Воплотит самые безумные идеи, трепетно разработает эскиз и даст рекомендации по уходу, особенно для любительниц бань. Она и сама к нам в бани заглядывает. Наша девка одним словом, жоска рекомендуем.Следуя инструкции по уходу уже через месяц можно наслаждаться в парной и кайфовать. Среди бывалых девок много расписных красавиц, и каждая на наших банях чувствует себя комфортно. Ну а мы гарантируем вам полный прогрев и что ваши тату в бане не выцветут и не смоются🤣 проверено лично!Показать свои татуировки и посмотреть на наши можно уже в эту субботу на бане с колыбельником, осталось еще парочка мест 😏Запись у @dmelshinaА что думает @gribkova_tattooer на этот счет, ищи в карусели.
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