Dotted around the Pyrénées-Orientales you'll find these natural hot springs. Top of my list was to find one. This one was beautiful, only a handful of people there and I spent a couple of hours bathing in the natural hot springs. Pure bliss![...]#pyreneesorientales #naturalsource #hotsprings #pleinnature #france #travelblog #travelblogger #traveladdicts #weekendbreaks #naturalhotsprings #innature #nature #bbctravel #woofermagazine #your_travelshotz #visit_europe #visiteurope #banalmag #europevacations #frenchtourisime #raw_europe #france_vacations #igersfrance #visitlafrance #thermes #thermeschaud #canigou #languedocRoussillon #mountainlovers #naturehub
Europe's one and only blog site on hot springs, soaking and sauna culture. Similarities and dissimilarities.
Hot springs-wise, there's little to mention. Eye-candy: yes; content not so much.
An entry (May 8) on the hot springs of Sao Miguel (Azores, Portugal):
'Though the water temperature in the outdoor thermal pools is always warm, it depends on what type of experience you want. In the winter, it rains often and in my opinion only enhances the experience and natural beauty of the place. There is nothing like sitting in a thermal spring of warm waters when it is raining out.There are 3 main locations on the island to experience natural thermal pools, each very different from the other'.
Restoring Swiss thermal springs of Baden, as well as enhancing a soaking culture. The Bagni Populari association has been awarded two accolades (Ihre Region Online, May 15) for persuing this:
'Der erste Werkbundpreis für den öffentlichen Raum geht an den Verein Bagni Popolari, der für seine Thermalwasserprojekte gewürdigt wird....Der Verein Bagni Popolari wurde bei der ersten Verleihung für seine heissen Brunnen in Baden und Ennetbaden sowie für seine Bemühungen im Zusammenhang mit dem Bad zum Raben gleich doppelt bedacht: Sowohl der Werkpreis als auch der Publikumspreis gehen an den Badener Verein, dem es mit seinen Projekten laut der Jury gelungen sei, Menschen aus unterschiedlichsten sozialen und kulturellen Hintergründen zusammenzubringen. Die niederschwellige Zugänglichkeit und Offenheit machten die heissen Brunnen zu inklusiven Begegnungsorten. Besonders gewürdigt wurde der Umstand, dass die Badegäste nicht nur eingeladen wurden, im heissen Wasser zu entspannen, sondern das Projekt aktiv mitzugestalten – als Vereinsmitglieder, als Gäste der künstlerischen Interventionen, die der Verein veranstaltet, oder als Genossenschafterin oder Genossenschafter des künftigen Bades zum Raben'.
An example of the connecting("Bemühungen").
Bath Curtain installed @bagno_popolare featuring maps reproduced from the 1938 book “The 750 Mineral Springs of Greece” by Nikolas Lekkas.Curtain by @orestismavroudis and @lydiaxynogalaLighting @mehrsehen_Photo @nicolaspetit
Thinkgeoenergy hails (Apr. 22) Italy's geothermal tourism:
'Italian renewable energy company Enel Green Power reports that there have been over 60,000 visits to the geothermal territories in Tuscany, indicating that geothermal tourism is a growing industry in the country'.
Perspective. Vesuvius racks up 1 million annually (source), Pompei has recently capped daily visitors to 20,000 (source)!
Activate mermaid mode 🧜🏻♀️Italy’s hot springs were just as dreamy as the rest of the country, che bella 🇮🇹I went to 6 different hot springs —aka termes— in Italy, but this one, Petriolo, in Tuscany was my favorite. 🫶Since this page is allll about healing, I’d like to share a bit about how moving it was to experience this hot spring with my grandmother (she took this picture 🔥👵🏼).Nonna moved to Tuscany to be with her new hubby (goals) and I finally got to visit her this spring — my first time leaving the US. 🤩We both were pretty worn down from traveling, and while I was there my nonna learned she had an ovarian cyst.Many of the hot springs there encourage soaking in AND drinking hot spring water to help with so many ailments, including cysts.I’m so grateful this spring exists so close to her home, it’s free, and you can enjoy it with or without a 🩱.If you go… Don’t leave any trash or food behind, and give the healing waters a big ✨ thank you ✨ from me. 💜 Taylor#healingishot #italy #italytravel #healthylifestyle
On r/nudism (a month ago), a review of what it claims are three thermal baths in the Netherlands / Germany. However it's actually only two and a wellness complex:
'Overall I enjoyed the visits to all three baths. All the facilities were clean, had a number of different experiences, and were easy to use'.
Drowsy
Finland, the nation of happiness? New York Times (May 2) needs to find out why. and report back.
'For eight years running, Finland has been rated the happiest country in the world by a peculiar United Nations-backed project called the World Happiness Report'.
The author fails to pinpoint what exactly makes Finland happy, but considerable effort is put into reporting on it's (albeit Helsinki's) sauna culture:
'All government buildings in Finland have a sauna on-site. Nationwide, there is more than one sauna for every two Finns. For obvious reasons, the sauna is somewhat overindexed in “happiness tourism” literature. There is a specific phrase for the blissful drowsiness associated with time spent in a heated box (saunanjälkeinen raukeus) and a specific elf (Saunatonttu) thought to live between a sauna’s wall and heating apparatus. The elf becomes angry if a sauna door is slammed....What we [US] lack is a sauna culture or perhaps any culture that unites us so fully.....In Finland, sauna is not a means to an end. It will not make a person richer or more attractive or more focused. The point is not to sweat out “toxins,” though that may occur — I’m not a scientist. The point seems to be the act itself: sitting in nude serenity among family, friends and strangers, safe in the bone-deep sense of trust that such an idyll both requires and reinforces'.
SOS Sense of Self has a blog (May 15) on enjoying sauna's in Helsinki:
'As home to the most saunas per capita anywhere in the world, here, the use of saunas is embedded into the fabric of the city itself....In recent years, Helsinki has enjoyed a sauna renaissance with new seaside venues adding a touch of architectural flair and sweeping views to the experience. Though the design may have evolved over the centuries, the essence of the sauna – quiet contemplation, communal connection, and physical rejuvenation – remains unchanged.Today, as Helsinki grows and modernises, the sauna continues to serve as a bridge between the city’s history and its future, providing a space where tradition and modernity meet, and where the culture of bathing is celebrated in its purest form.After which a description of some of the experiences to be had unfolds'.
Sauna-Helsinki-naked? The answer (May 16) from Travel Magazine:
'Sanna Forsström, Head of Brand & Events, City of Helsinki. say “It’s time to forget the rules and rituals you might have heard. In Helsinki, the sauna is a reflection of freedom, self-expression, and social connection. Once inside, most visitors are surprised to learn how relaxed, diverse, and personal the experience really is. And for many visitors, the sauna ultimately becomes one of the most memorable parts of their stay.”...Check if there is a dress code in the sauna you’re entering – in public mixed saunas you often wear a swimsuit, meanwhile in a swimming pool you usually don’t. Wearing a towel is always ok.And to show just how many ways there are to sauna, locals from the city shared their own styles for the world in a sauna-themed shoot, and now those same Helsinkians can be spotted in multiple surfaces around Helsinki and on the streets of Basel, showing up on digital posters reminding Eurovision fans that when it comes to sauna, there really are so many ways'.
Sauna-Sweden-naked? The local.se (May 13):
'If you're a sauna newbie, you're probably wondering: Is it OK to cover up in a Swedish sauna (bastu) or do you have to let it all hang out?Traditionally you would be naked in the sauna, but don't worry, it's not obligatory."Sauna is individual. If you have a towel or your swimsuit or if you are naked, it's up to you," Svante Spolander, co-founder of Sweden's Bastuakademien sauna club, told The Local."Younger people in Sweden are really shy – I think it's this thing with mobile phones and filming. They are, like, scared of it, but we say that it's up to you."...For Spolander, the way this forces you to drop your physical boundaries is part of the appeal."Sometimes it's quite funny when there are a lot of people. It's like in a football game, it's little crowded, but you have fun together. In the sauna museum that I look after, we have what we call a village sauna, and you can be 60 people when we pack it."
I’m laying down on my back, on the living room floor, sending energy to my own healing, to my creativity and motivation. And to my happiness. Seabird starts singing in my ears and I feel like I get picked up by something, maybe it’s joy? I remember a morning a couple of weeks ago with my colleagues. We had some extra time so we decided to sit down for a breakfast together. Coffee, grilled bread with cheese and jam. A favorite. The music that was playing was perfect for the moment and we all agreed that it felt like we were in a movie. Seabird was one of the tunes playing that morning.There's a road I know I must goEven though I tell myselfThat road is closedListen, lonely seabirdYou've been away from land too longSeabird, seabirdFly homeAnd I have been away for some time, from teaching, working and from my own practice. There just haven’t been any energy. But this morning there was some. Some energy to fly back home. Or at least start to fly back home. I don’t really know what I am writing right now or why, I just had a moment this morning. A moment of happiness, ease, creativity, a moment of energy, energy in motion. Just like that moment with my colleagues in our own little movie. And it felt good. I got up and danced. Or moved my body. I allowed the joy to flourish and flow through me. And sometimes the road to this, is rest. A road I’ve told myself was closed, but it is The Road. The road of rest, restoring, rejuvenate, slowing down, being, sensing, feeling, loving, caring. And for the self, for me! A road that’s been even more closed, all this for me?? Yes!!! It’s a road I knew I must go and it’s open for all. Try it. Do not forget to wonder the slow and beautiful road of stillness and rest.See you soon, seabirds. Until then give yourself some loving rejuvenating and restoring slow moments.🤍some photos from moments of stillness and joy.
England's Daily Mail (May 2) on the kingdom's sauna trend:
'Saunas have become a huge trend in the UK in recent years – with more and more opening all the time.In 2023, there were 45 public saunas around the country - in the Finnish style, with wooden walls, hot stones and cold plunge pools.But, by the time journalist and sauna enthusiast Emma O’Kelly had finished writing her new book, Wild Sauna [Britain], in February 2025, there were 189 dotted around the country'.
The author also has a dedicated article (May 2) with Womens Health in which she shares her first naked sauna:
'VerdictI understand why naked saunas are such a big deal in Scandinavia as they really do seem to have a positive impact on your mental and physical health. The women I met love their weekly session and have become friends, sharing intimacies they wouldn’t even chat about with old friends; divorce, pain, grief, spouses, kids, money worries, work stress are chewed over and spat out and evaporate in the steam. I’m reminded of the award-winning documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, in which women in Estonia cry, laugh and sweat together, and I feel privileged to have been invited into their treasured safe space. “There's always something, isn’t there? We share all sorts here. The fact that you are literally sweating it out, going in the water and washing away all those things that cause worry and pain; it’s a catharsis, isn't it?”
An influencer publishes (Apr. 24, 2024) and republishes (Mar. 15) her experience on sauna-ing in Germany. Huge amounts of likes, many (I mean really many) comments. But actually, in Germany, not an unusual experience.
Defaulted
'Wellness, as we know it in many parts of Europe, has exactly the same basis. It’s about stepping away from everyday life with the goal of returning healthier, fitter, more energetic, and more relaxed. Even the nudity part is often there, think of the Northern European sauna culture or the spa centers in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium where naked is the default dress code....Because of its popularity, wellness is increasingly falling victim to commercialisation. Ultimate relaxation is no longer the primary goal, but instead, you’re being gently nudged toward buying Himalayan salt that promises to make your skin glow, mud sourced from a puddle near Machu Picchu supposedly used by the Incas to live longer, and mushroom lattes because… well, they just sound fancy.We can’t predict the future, maybe naturism will head down a similar path someday. But what we can say is that this day hasn’t come yet. If you’re looking for a more honest and grounded wellness experience, you’re probably better off at a naturist resort today than at a wellness centre.The best case though would be that the two begin to grow closer again. Because at their core, they’re not so different. Naturism and wellness are just two faces of the same coin: practices that help us feel better, inside and out. No filters. No judgments. No clothes. Just be'.
My favourite way to unwind: soaking and reading in nature.
Our spot the last 2 days 🛀🏼🩱Hot Springs are the best, especially when we can park our camper next to it and its winter 👌🏼.#greece #greecemainland #hotspring #thermalbath #travelphotographer #travelphotography #travelgreece #visitgreece #travelcouple #vanlife
