Wintery soaks

isabellakiriy 

Incredible hidden pool in the mountains of Iceland❄️
#iceland#icelandic#mood#icelandair#icelandtravel#visiticeland#iceland_tourist
#scandinaviaclub#vscocam#vsco#winter#swim#pool#wanderlust#travel
#neverstopexploring#naturelovers#nature#mountains#livefree#liveauthentic
#liveoutdoors#liveauthentic#honeyhanyjewelry#hotsprings#explore#wendolieb
#everydayiceland#olympus_ru#olympusnorge#adventuretime

To me, winter is the best time of the year for soaking. No better way than to heat oneself up by enjoying a hot spring in the secluded daylight or dark starry nights.

But oddly enough from the many ways in which I gather photo's of hot springs, it seems that most soakers visit hot springs during the summer. And it's not only that, f.i. many of Southern Europe's bathing establishments are only open in the summer. As if soaking is not a year round thing to enjoy.

Soaking in nature can be easily done in winter. Okay, there's less daylight, lower ambient temperatures, possibly some access issues, but with the lack of less dedicated soakers, winter visits reward premier experiences away from the crowds.

We all know that natural soaks are far and few between in Europe, so how can I bring the joys of winter soaking to your attention? 
What follows are many Icelandic soaks, the odd soak elsewhere as well as some more soaks which are to be enjoyed indoors.

We started off this entry with Icelands Seljavallalaug (above), probably not the best hot spring to have a winter sleep in. With water temperatures below 30°C, most probably your swim won't last long, certainly not in snow and ice conditions depicted. Though it does provide great backdrops, it's wee walk along a river and in snow there's nothing more photogenic ...
 

What also provides (early) winter soaking opportunities are dropping levels in dammed reservoirs. 
Below is the lakeside soak of Bande (Galicia, Spain), but also Tiermas (Navarra) is another fine example of a soak available for winter soaking, not there in spring or summer.

gaby_maga 

Una escapadita a las termas en España... #termas #españa #atardecer #afterbirthday

Mother

saraanneoneill 

Because spontaneous trips are the best 🏞

Spain has more natural soaks to warm up to.  
Above are those of Santa Fe (Andalusia). Nearby Alhama de Grenada (below) where the soaking community actually profits with the nearby bathing institution closing for the winter, leaving more water for free soakers to enjoy,

Rounding off Spain's natural winter baths, again Galicia, with the wild soaks of Prexigueiro.

thefizzyrascal 

Spending New Years Day in natural hot springs #takemeback #spain #hotsprings #travelling #sunnydays #alhama #granada #landscape #winter #thefizzyrascal

hugartist 

Mother nature #termas #ourense

Happy lovers

dogalielif 

too hot and too cold at the same time like life. 

Out of the way, north Bosnia's Banja Luka (Republika Srpska) is given as the above location; it seems more likely nearby Srpske Toplice.

Remaining in Central Europe, one can also opt for the indoors of Germany's exclusive Baden-baden ...., ummm baths.

alexis.stinson 

Goodlife with babe ❤️ #therme #badenbaden #privateroom #whirlpool #goodlife #russia #polska #onlylike #baby #love #timeforlove #fitness #back #swim #realex #champ #kisses #hugs #top #feelgood #you #follow #like

dimitraalexandraki1 

Good morning #lovers ! Just arrived here .. #peace #relax #iamatikaloutra #crazydriver around #Europe my last destination the most beautiful country in the world 🇬🇷 GREECE 🇬🇷 Δεν υπάρχει τίποτα πιο όμορφο από την ομορφιά της μητέρας φύσης .. Νιώθεις την απίστευτη ενέργεια της γης ! Απίθανο μέρος .. #pure #natural #water #Loutra #Pozar 💧💦💧💦

Remaining indoors, we're now in northern Greece, Loutra Pozar (above right) where you should note that the outdoor situation is way superior. 
Below right the hot spring of Thermes, situated close to the Bulgarian border, while the last indoor feature (left) comes from Georgia's sulphur baths in the country's capital of Tiblisi.

sahsine_gkiritli 

Thermes

sahsine_gkiritli#warmwater #loutra #happy #lovethat

anna_jentgen

Mermaids finally getting a very much needed thermal spa 🇬🇪💙 @kikkene @inese6

Go

madalen 

Bajar de pistas y unas termas?? Why not? #apresski #naturelovers, #valdaran,#piriloco, #livinglavidaloca, #relax, #goodvibes, #aguitacalentita, #hotwater, #arties, #banhsdarties, #valdaranphotos, #relaxtime,#capitanfin, #wild, #outdoors.

In France's Pyrenees is probably the prime of continental Europe's soaks, a good excuse to publish two photo's of the same soak. 

mirenss 

Relax 😌

#fontpedrouse #bains #termalbath #natural #banystermals #nature #mountain #scape #itscoldoutside #france #pyrenees #pirineus #relax #feelinggood #water #igersfrance #intothewild #autumn

Finally one can try to escape the winter albeit on São Miguel (Azores, Portugal) one may not have to cope with lower temperatures, but the weather can be very incinclement.

theblondeseyeview 

"No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself." -Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own.

#travelfervor #travelslifee #naturegeography #justgoshoot #peoplescreatives #explorertocreate #theoutbound #lifeofadventure #bestvacations #worldtravelbook #livetravelchannel #hotsprings #theblondeseyeview #passionpassport #instatravel #worlderlust #wanderlust #travel #luxurytravel #secretplaces #romanticplaces #amazingearth #nature_perfection #freshair #globetrotter #justgosomewhere #paradise #awesomeglobe #tourtheplanet #explorerbabes

Tan

christinekoko 

Day 1: Sveitarfélagið ölfus

When the water is warm, the surroundings are cold and you take the opportunity of being alone in nature to treasure it with everything. I'll never forget this day.

With @keeterly

_______________________________________________________________

#vsco #vscocam #love #Iceland #wheninkef #travel #nature #naturephotography #art #inspire #minimalist #aesthetic #minimal #photography #letsgosomewhere #adventure #wanderlust #justgoshoot #500px #exploretocreate #monochrome #explore #nature #optoutside #thepeoplescreatives #visualsoflife #smoke #lifeisbeautiful #hotsprings

Finally rounding off with Iceland where even a winter soak is to be had in summer, if you're so lucky! 

Here just a couple of samples. 
 

aaalia 

In the land of fire and ice wanderlust consumed her; foreign hearts and exotic minds compelled her.

She has a gypsy soul and a vibrant hope for the unknown 🇮🇸🌋❄️. #fireandice #Iceland #wanderlust #adventures #geothermal #secretswimminghole #natureswhirlpool

tice_is_nice 

We did it! Finally made it to some natural thermal #hotsprings. The view was amazing. Mountains to our right and the #atlantic to our left. We even saw whales breaching on our drive in. Big #shoutout to our #suzuki #bjork for keeping us #safeandsound. #lifeisgood

#theisdoeseurope #iceland #roadtrip #backpackers #eurotrip #dudegetatan

Proof

Despite living along side a quite active geological fault zone, there's little to note on Croatia's hot springs.

With most of the country lapping up a huge chunk of the Adriatic's west coast, it's mostly in the northern more mountainous areas where you'll discover geothermal sources; though there's little left to enjoy in nature. See f.i. this link to spa's in Croatia

On a recent non-soaking sojourn, I visited Croatia's city of Split which revels in the jewels of it's past: the Diocletian palace. 
Though the palace may once have been on a strip of land between a lagoon, peninsula and the sea it may well be, that it's origins are to be traced back to those with a geothermal origin.
That's at least what Rusko & Balog (2007) suggest:

'Numerous researchers believe that the Emperor Diocletian used the sulphur spring and that it was one reason for building the Palace at that site. This cannot be proved since there are no written documents'.

Well, they mention sulphurous origins, not necessarily thermal. Could they be hot? Not. According to the same source:

'The highest temperature recorded at the Split spa sulphur spring was 23.75° (30 September 1987) while the lowest was 14°C (20 January 2004)'.

Evidence
Let's see what we can find.

Where the palace was once lapping the shores, there's now a café-lined strada (the Riva) which passes from the market south of the palace to the yacht harbour to the north. Take your time and stroll along the Riva and take in the surroundings; but above all smell. Once you have passed the palace walls you'll notice the whiff of sulphur.

This whiff comes from the drain of the source of sulphorous waters. 

It's actually known that Split possess sulphur baths. Tripadvisor: 

'... the smell has been here for 2000 years from an underground sulfur spring that legend says is one of the reasons Diocletian built his palace here--sulfur was thought of and still is used medically to cure certain bone ailments. The fabulous art deco building a stone;s throw from where you were sitting is actually a clinic that still does this treatment and the 100 year old fish market next to it was purposely built there to take advantage of the fact that flies, like humans, are also repelled by such fumes'.

 Virtualtourist (2016) adds some info on the bathing building itself:

'I am not sure if there excist any other Secession building in Split besides Sulphur baths in Marmontova street. This construction was built in the very beginning of the 19th century and is fine example of the Art Nouveau style in Split. It is designed by a local architect who studied in Vienna and came back home "infected" by the Secession.

The spa is still working (its smell could be feel for milles around) and serve as an rehabilitation center for various rheumatic problems'

Where is this building?

Head inland from the Riva up the strollable Marmontova street and 100m from the harbour on your right you'll see the elaborate decorated Art Deco building Sumporne Toplice. This is just before the fish market. 

The building apparently still houses / functions as a sulphur bath though there were precious little clues as to whether it was till in function other than a plaque with this text:

'This building of 1903 designed by Kamilo Tončić is an impotant specimen, with its richly decorative elevations and interiors, of Croatian Art Noveau architecture. It was built over natural sulphur springs that have been used for therapeutic purposes since the 18th century'.

The building itself is neatly adorned such as in the picture below:

Though the Vitaltourist source above mentions it still functioning, this article notes how it needs to be revived possibly to put Split on par with the German spa town of Baden-Baden.

A bit of history by Vlak (2000) which suggests that bathing halted before start of the Millennium:

'The sulphurous waters of Split have been in traditional medicinal use for a full 17 centuries, ever since the construction of the Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The "Sulphur Baths" of Split (Croatia) reached their greatest recognition and popularity at the beginning of the 20th century, when the sulphurous spring was declared to be the source of some of the highest quality medicinal mineral water in Europe. However, interest in balneology and climatotherapy, hitherto so popular in the area, subsequently declined. The "Sulphur Baths" gradually lost their importance and medical use of the sulphurous water gave way to modern forms of physical therapy. The beginning of the 1990s marked the end of commercial and every other use of the mineral water in Split'.

As could be expected, there doesn't seem to be much evidence of any action or possibility to admire the buildings interior. It does seem odd at the least that despite all the assurances of how a sulphur bath is a benefit to anyone's health, the waters simply drain into the harbour ... 

Still it could be worse. If one delves further in Splits history, where now stands the iconic Hajduk FC stadium were public mud baths with sulphuric mud (source).

Notes

Rusko, M & K. Balog (2007) Characteristics and origin of the Spilt sulphur spa (Southern Croatia). Manažérstvo životného prostredia 2007 Management of Environment ´2007 zo VII. konferencie so zahranicnou úcastou konanej 5. - 6. 1. 2007 v Jaslovských Bohuniciach. Proceedings of the International Conference, Jaslovské Bohunice, 5-6 January 2007

Vlak, T. (2000) From the history of the Split hot springs Reumatizam. 2000;47(1):25-30.