Features of German baths

It all started when a university friend of mine, with whom we were visiting in Stuttgart, asked if I would like to go to a German mineral bath. - To the bathhouse? — I scratched the back of my head, suspecting nothing. - Why not. To the bathhouse, then to the bathhouse.”

Leaving our wives and children to plunder the city, we parked on the mountainside with a wonderful view. A friend of mine recently moved from Cologne and was therefore very surprised at how cheap entry costs were in the capital of Baden-Württemberg.

“Only eight oiro,” he noted. — In Cologne it was seventeen. I’m afraid the quality will suffer greatly from this.”

Despite the late hour, there was a line of young people and couples with children at the entrance to the baths.

The locker room and passage system reminded me of the entrance to the Moscow swimming pool on Volkhonka. They put a number on our leg, which was the key to the locker in the locker room and, apparently, an identification tag in case of drowning.

Having put on swimming shorts, I complained that we didn’t have slippers, and the Germans, probably, for reasons of hygiene, were not allowed to go barefoot. My friend, an experienced man, waved his hand and advised me not to worry about this or anything else. And grabbing some towels, they would be very useful later, he invited me to follow him.

From the locker room we immediately found ourselves on the upper tier of the covered pavilion, drowning in steam and incessant human noise. Below in the large pool, children frolicked with their parents and young German lovers, who, like frogs, quietly kissed in nooks and were quietly doing something underwater.

To my surprise, I discovered that almost none of the Germans walking along the pool wore slippers (where their vaunted love of hygiene) and few were dressed in swimming shorts in the American style. The majority of men, as in Russia, preferred classic swimming trunks with bulging dignity.

A friend immediately stopped my attempt to climb into the pool and dragged me deeper into the pavilion to large plunge pools with greenish water.

“These are mineral baths,” he explained. — Each has its own temperature and its own composition of water. It’s better not to sit for more than fifteen minutes - you’ll die from the amount of health.”

I took a step towards recovery, but this time my friend politely did not allow me to join the mass of burgher bodies, which, like goblins, sat motionless in the acid-hydrogen water.

“Take your time... The most powerful healing effect lies ahead,” he explained and led me into the depths of the establishment, from where Germans with faces as red as lobsters were coming out. Having passed the corridor, we found ourselves in a hall with a font in the middle and wooden doors around the perimeter.

- Take off your clothes! - the friend ordered and began to pull off his swimming trunks, although literally two meters from us a gaggle of girls about sixteen years old was wringing out their hair. Only then did I notice that about half of the men and women walking around the hall were completely naked. I suppressed my embarrassment, hid behind a small screen and followed the example of my friend. This is where the towels we grabbed came in handy, one of which I wrapped around my loins, which were clenched with fear.

- Now to the sauna! - the friend commanded and headed towards the wooden door with a foggy window. I chose to keep up and dived after him into the twilight of the steam room.

When the door slammed behind us, I looked around in the darkness. There were so many male and female bodies packed along the benches along the walls that there was no room for an apple to fall, let alone two male asses. Luckily for us, two seats became available on the very top row, and we immediately plopped down on them, laying down the towels we had taken off.

I describe the situation. Right at our feet, three blond beasts about seventeen years old sat with their powerful thighs. Next to me, butt to butt, was a woman of about thirty with a caesarean section strip on her stomach and the hanging breasts of a loving mother. And through the window on the right I could see the shower room, in which, after a tiring sauna, two dark-haired naiads, about twenty-five years old, washed their bodies. Moreover, one’s womb was completely shaved, and the other had a funny hedgehog, a la the Fuhrer’s mustache.

A little dry theory

In Germany (and also in Austria, keep in mind if you are going to ski resorts) there are very unique bath traditions. Locals consider it unhygienic, wrong and even possibly disgusting to bathe in synthetic swimsuits. It seems like these newfangled materials are harmful and unsafe. But at the same time, all German baths are shared - and traditionally men, women, children and old people go to the “therms” completely naked. This doesn’t bother anyone except the numerous Russian tourists who end up there either by accident or out of curiosity. In the first case, the reaction of our people is mainly negative, and in the second, it is not entirely adequate.

German baths as a cultural barrier for Russians

Many Russians when visiting Germany encounter serious cultural barriers that separate our countries. The German mentality is very different from the Slavic one. This is explained by both cultural traditions and freer European views. The strongest culture shock among Russians is caused by German saunas and baths...

Almost all saunas and baths in Germany are shared. This means that men and women, children and old people - everyone steams and washes together. The main problem for Russians is that they have to do it completely naked. You will not be allowed into the steam room, wash room, or swimming pool in a swimsuit or swimming trunks. Rubber slippers are also prohibited.

The Germans believe that any synthetic material in a humid and hot environment evaporates dangerous chemical compounds. This not only harms the person wearing synthetic swimwear, but also those around them. You simply will not be allowed into a German sauna in a swimsuit (or swimming trunks, if you are a man).

Even if you shyly cover up your sensitive areas, they will look at you in surprise as if you were a strange person. The Germans are not at all shy about their nudity. Teenage boys can safely swim next to the naked mothers of their classmates, and no one sees anything indecent about it.

Etiquette in German saunas

Men, women, children, the elderly - everyone washes naked in the same room. On rare occasions, some establishments offer separate swimming days, but this may only be once a week. On all other days, be kind enough to cast aside false shame!

If you enter the washroom wearing swimming trunks, you will be reprimanded and shown the door. So those who want to visit a German sauna should tune in to a nudist mood and, first of all, get used to their own nudity. Russian people, who are much more shy by nature, have difficulty accepting such orders. Some people, even after living in Germany for many years, simply avoid visiting saunas.

But the fact is that German friends or even business partners can easily invite you to their home sauna. And in this case, you will have to strip naked and take a steam bath with everyone else. In this case, you should behave appropriately: do not blush, do not cover your most intimate parts and, of course, do not closely examine the figures of those around you.

Where can you hide

The sauna in Germany is divided into 2 zones. The first is the actual washing room and steam room. They are called Textilfrei, which roughly translates to “clothing-free zone.” In the remaining rooms - the lounge area, water slides and bar - you can walk around modestly wrapped in a towel or in swimming trunks. By the way, not all Germans do this. Many continue to shamelessly walk around in what their mother gave birth to. Not every Russian is able to accept, let alone understand, this.

The most pleasant

The procedure of swimming in such places is very pleasant and relaxing. In public saunas you cannot speak loudly or make any noise at all. This may prevent other guests from enjoying their stay. You can sit or lie on the shelves only on special bath towels, which are 2 meters long. You cannot touch wood with bare skin. It's not hygienic.

You should arrive at the beginning of the “aufguss” - pouring out the stones - on time. It is important. During aufguss, a sauna employee pours water with honey, eucalyptus or orange aromatic oils on the stones and diligently disperses the steam. At the same time, he entertains visitors: he tells them jokes and jokes. You cannot leave the hall at this moment, so as not to let off precious steam. You can only leave if you feel sick.

Then you can start swimming. Some saunas play pleasant music during Aufguss and hand out free salts, creams or ice cubes for the skin. After the procedure, you may be offered a cup of tea, fruit or ice cream. All this is already included in the entrance ticket price. Aufguss in saunas are held according to a schedule, so it is customary to arrive on time so as not to disturb the special beauty of the ceremony.

Source

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What does the sauna process look like?

You come to the bathhouse, pay for the amount of time you need according to the tariff and go to the locker room. Further, the situation differs from the rules in a particular bathhouse - in some you can leave the locker room in a swimsuit, robe or at least a towel, but you will be required to take them off in the steam room or pool. In others, all your embarrassment along with your clothes must be left in the locker room - immediately behind it is the “Freikörperkultur” space. However, no one can forbid you to wear a towel or a robe made of natural materials, but you will look like a black sheep. In the steam room, you can also wrap yourself in a towel, but then you must have two of them, because one must be placed on the shelf in the steam room (so as not to drip your sweat onto it).

The best family vacation is a group trip to the bathhouse

Germans often go to the bathhouse as families, often with children. There is no division between men's and women's baths, but there are certain days when bath complexes can organize, for example, “women's day”, then men are not allowed to enter.

Something is always prohibited in a German bath and sauna. So, none of the visitors should touch the wooden surface with their naked bodies. To sit or lie down on it, everyone must have an individual towel, the length of which must be at least 2 meters.

For Germans, a bathhouse is a place of peace and relaxation, so you can’t make noise here. Also, all visitors must arrive at the bathhouse on time - at the beginning of the “aufguss”, take a seat and wait for the start of the bathing procedures.

My experience in the thermal baths of Berlin

In general, I have never suffered from a craving for nudism (although who will believe me now), and it’s somehow not very interesting to look at others, but I really wanted to relax in a bathhouse after three days of running around Berlin. Well, since this is a local specialty, you can combine business with pleasure - take a steam bath and try something that is much talked about.

In our bathhouse you only had to undress in the steam rooms; throughout the rest of the area they wore bathrobes, and in the pool you had to wear a swimsuit. Like any normal person, undressing for the first time was awkward. It seemed to me that we would enter the steam room and everyone there was dressed, and only my friend and I were like two fools)) But no, in fact everyone was sitting or lying on the towel they had taken off.

There is semi-darkness in the steam room and without special efforts you won’t be able to see your neighbor. The Germans themselves go to the baths often and have already seen so many naked bodies that two more can hardly surprise them. If someone looks at another person, they do it as discreetly as possible - indecent) But only those who specifically came for this will be considered - for example, Russians)) Such people are usually given away by a wild look, and you can simply stay away from them. We went to a new and quite expensive establishment, the cost of which eliminates the undesirable contingent. In general, there were few people, and often we sat in the steam room or hammam together.

Overall, we had a great time - everything in the bathhouse was very high quality and beautifully done, we steamed, swam, and at the end drank a glass of wine on the sun loungers overlooking the garden. Have a rest! As for bare features - in Germany this should be taken for granted. You can not? Then just don't go. I can't say that I like it, but it has to be done. I saw these people for the first and last time in my life. I couldn’t go with friends and colleagues like the Germans))

A man's view of German baths

Our Vanya is just from that category of people who go to a German bathhouse out of curiosity. Of course, he examined everyone, but he assures that he did it as inconspicuously as possible, so as not to confuse anyone and not to look like a fool himself. He says there were some pretty girls, but not many)

In the bathhouse where he and his friend went, you had to be naked everywhere - even in the pool.

Another difference is that their thermal baths had many more steam rooms, and the pool had access (or swimming) to the street. Their cost of visiting was lower, and therefore the contingent was simpler. There were several Turks huddled in the pool, who probably didn’t just come to take a steam bath.

In general, Vanya’s impressions are even more pleasant - he wanted to go to the German baths, he went to the baths. I think he will repeat it at the first opportunity)

Public baths in Germany

I read a lot of reviews from our tourists, where opinions are divided and not everyone calmly goes to steam naked, although we met several people. The main visitors to German baths
are Germans, but there are also Italians, Poles, and French.

In German baths

we were in the area of Neuschwanstein Castle and in the town of Bad Windsheim, 48 km from Nuremberg, there is a very beautiful open-air museum there, I put a link and you can read it.

Shared German saunas

Regarding photos and videos in German baths

I've been surfing the Internet, and the most popular request for German baths is related to photos and videos. So, my little lovers of XXX footage, entering the bathhouse with phones is strictly prohibited, and since everyone in the steam rooms is naked, I can hardly imagine where you can hide even a small camera. Therefore, basically all the photos on the Internet are staged. And this is good, hardly anyone wants to be filmed as a souvenir.

Prices in Berlin baths

Now specifically about those Berlin baths in which we were.

Mine was called Liquidrom and here is its official website.

Cost of visiting the Liquidrom sauna:

2 hours 19.50 €
4 hours 24.50 €
whole day 29.50 €
50 minutes of massage costs from 60 € (25 minutes 35 €)

External view of the Liquidrom sauna

Very nice pool inside

And a cozy pool outside

Vanya went to Europa-center and here is their website.

Cost of visiting the Europa-center bathhouse:

1 hour 6.5 €
3 hours 19.90 €
day ticket 21.90 €
evening from 8 pm to 12 on weekdays and from 6 to 9 on weekends – 17 €
spa treatments from 50-60 € per hour (many options, including for two)

Bath complex Europa-center

Large swimming pool inside

And quite big on the outside

If you have any questions, ask! Well, share your experience if you are not shy)

Absolutely agree with every word! I am one of those who tried it and will return there not just once and not just to show myself and look at others)), but to enjoy freedom from stereotypes!

Cool experience