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More Spa Bathing Adventures in Wiesbaden
We spent our morning at the special Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme here in Wiesbaden. It is a marvelous, refurbished ancient bathing establishment. This one has an outstanding circuit of water and heat treatments. I think the Germans are probably the best in the world in understanding the physiology of contrast therapy (hot and cold) and its health benefits. The circuit begins with a shower and then a session in the first sauna, which is moderately hot. After that, guests proceed from one heat experience to another. In all, there are 13 baths and rooms of various temperatures.By the way, in Germany they would laugh at you if you wore a swimsuit into the sauna. Everyone is totally naked, and, yes, it is mixed company, which means all men and women are going through the saunas, steams, and pools with no clothes on. It takes a few minutes to get used to, but soon it feels quite natural. (I was glad, however, that we didn't run into anyone we knew.)
From a sauna to a cold shower, then a hotter sauna, followed by a cold pool, on to inhalation rooms, resting areas, steams, more saunas, more rest...You get the idea. The average amount of time a person spends here is four hours. We only spent three but felt great after.
To view all the different rooms in Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme's circuit, click "Sauna Landscape" on the property's website. You will see authentic names such as frigidarium, lumenarium, Russian steam, tepidarium, etc. It's a good lesson in spa history.
I would love to hear feedback from those who read my blog! Please post a comment by clicking on the link below that reads "Comments."
Labels: Germany, hydrotherapy, Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme, spa treatments, Thalassotherapy, Wiesbaden
posted by Susie at Friday, October 13, 2006
3 Comments:
Suzie, there is a small rustic "resort" in Sierraville, CA, called Sierra Hot Springs (www.sierrahotspring.org) where the swimming and soaking pools are clothing optional. Some people (not many) choose to wear swim suits, and nobody will laugh at you if that is your choice. Similarly you can choose not to be draped during spa treatments.
The Spa at the resort is run by a young lady named Carol Reed. My wife and I can highly recommend deep tissue massages by both Carol and another therapist named Gudrun (pronounced Good-DROON). We both prefer female therapists, but everyone that Carol hires seems to be excellent.
If you have never had one, I highly recommend a WATSU session with Carol. Watsu, as you know, is water shiatsu massage. I don't find it quite as therapeutic after workouts as a deep tissue table massage, but it is the most relaxing, calming, serene, out-of-body experience that I have ever had. You are floating naked and weightless in water that is about the same as your body temperature while Carol manipulates your limbs, neck and torso throughout the pool. It has to be the closest thing to being back in the womb that we can experience on this earth.
The resort has two primary pools that are both clothing optional. One is a larger swimming pool with water at 98-99 degrees; and the other is an enclosed hot soaking pool with water temperature between 104 and 112. The water is naturally heated by geothermal activity beneath the property and contains a therapeutic amount of sulpher without being overwhelming.
The resort also serves outstanding cuisine on the weekends with a small kitchen serving an intimate dining room. All meals are made with organic food with one vegetarian entre available each dinner as well as excellent seafood and meat.
My wife and I spent several long weekends there with spa treatments scheduled each day and plenty of time to relax sun bathing and soaking. Be careful not to get too much sun on parts of your body that don't see much sunshine!
The busier times of the year are summer and winter (ski season) so sunny fall weather is also an ideal time to go. Please don't expect much in the way of amenities if you visit. You can stay overnight at the Lodge or the Globe Hotel in town (1½ miles away). The Lodge has a porch where you can sit or lie and watch the world go by and a parlor with couches, a wood stove and a few books. The scenery is beautiful. If you have time you can take a hike or two through the woods or fields.
We live in Reno, Nevada, about an hour away. Today I will be leaving in about ½ hour to get a 2-hour therapeutic massage with Gudrun and a few hours soaking in the pools. Hopefully I will see you and your husband there sometime in the future. It is located about 30 minutes north of Truckee, CA, at the intersection of State Routes 89 & 49.
I hope that this information is useful for you. Fred
Suzie, there is a small rustic "resort" in Sierraville, CA, called Sierra Hot Springs (www.sierrahotspring.org) where the swimming and soaking pools are clothing optional. Some people (not many) choose to wear swim suits, and nobody will laugh at you if that is your choice. Similarly you can choose not to be draped during spa treatments.
The Spa at the resort is run by a young lady named Carol Reed. My wife and I can highly recommend deep tissue massages by both Carol and another therapist named Gudrun (pronounced Good-DROON). We both prefer female therapists, but everyone that Carol hires seems to be excellent.
If you have never had one, I highly recommend a WATSU session with Carol. Watsu, as you know, is water shiatsu massage. I don't find it quite as therapeutic after workouts as a deep tissue table massage, but it is the most relaxing, calming, serene, out-of-body experience that I have ever had. You are floating naked and weightless in water that is about the same as your body temperature while Carol manipulates your limbs, neck and torso throughout the pool. It has to be the closest thing to being back in the womb that we can experience on this earth.
The resort has two primary pools that are both clothing optional. One is a larger swimming pool with water at 98-99 degrees; and the other is an enclosed hot soaking pool with water temperature between 104 and 112. The water is naturally heated by geothermal activity beneath the property and contains a therapeutic amount of sulpher without being overwhelming.
The resort also serves outstanding cuisine on the weekends with a small kitchen serving an intimate dining room. All meals are made with organic food with one vegetarian entre available each dinner as well as excellent seafood and meat.
My wife and I spent several long weekends there with spa treatments scheduled each day and plenty of time to relax sun bathing and soaking. Be careful not to get too much sun on parts of your body that don't see much sunshine!
The busier times of the year are summer and winter (ski season) so sunny fall weather is also an ideal time to go. Please don't expect much in the way of amenities if you visit. You can stay overnight at the Lodge or the Globe Hotel in town (1½ miles away). The Lodge has a porch where you can sit or lie and watch the world go by and a parlor with couches, a wood stove and a few books. The scenery is beautiful. If you have time you can take a hike or two through the woods or fields.
We live in Reno, Nevada, about an hour away. Today I will be leaving in about ½ hour to get a 2-hour therapeutic massage with Gudrun and a few hours soaking in the pools. Hopefully I will see you and your husband there sometime in the future. It is located about 30 minutes north of Truckee, CA, at the intersection of State Routes 89 & 49.
I hope that this information is useful for you. Fred
Suzie, sorry, the URL for Sierra Hot Springs is www.sierrahotsprings.org. In my original comment I dropped the "s" at the end. Fred
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