Have you been to a Spa?
May 10th, 2004, 11:20 AM
#1
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Have you been to a Spa?
I'll be in Strasbourg for a week and am thinking about going to a spa for 1 or 2 days.
Has anyone been to one on Baden-Baden or in France near Strasbourg?
Information is hard to come by.
Has anyone been to one on Baden-Baden or in France near Strasbourg?
Information is hard to come by.
May 10th, 2004, 01:14 PM
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I've been to Baden-Baden several times. There are two main spas in BaBa; Caracalla, which is new, very modern in style, and the Friedrichsbad (Roman-Irish) spa which is beautiful, but traditional. Friedrichsbad is a co-ed nude spa; at Caracalla, you were ordinary bathing suits. Both are wonderfully relaxing and charge somewhere in the $15 range for a couple of hours; treatments such as back massage are extra.
There are also smaller spas in hotels. On our last trip to Baden-Baden, we stayed at the Dorint next to the casino. The Dorint is a modern luxury hotel that has its own spa and we skipped Caracalla for the hotel's spa facilities. It was wonderfully relaxing. My mother had a back massage that she thought was great (35 euros for half an hour); I had a reflexology massage (about the same price) that was also very pleasant. We would go back in a minute--Baden-Baden is a great town for just hanging out.
A French spa town near Strasbourg that we have been to is Niederbronn les Bains. Very pretty, not touristy, but I don't know about its spa facilities.
There are also smaller spas in hotels. On our last trip to Baden-Baden, we stayed at the Dorint next to the casino. The Dorint is a modern luxury hotel that has its own spa and we skipped Caracalla for the hotel's spa facilities. It was wonderfully relaxing. My mother had a back massage that she thought was great (35 euros for half an hour); I had a reflexology massage (about the same price) that was also very pleasant. We would go back in a minute--Baden-Baden is a great town for just hanging out.
A French spa town near Strasbourg that we have been to is Niederbronn les Bains. Very pretty, not touristy, but I don't know about its spa facilities.
May 10th, 2004, 02:15 PM
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btilke i think that you had just been to baden-baden right before christmas and gave me a really nice reply on the the spa situation in bb. we ended up going to caracalla for about 4 hrs. it was heavenly. when i suggested that we go there everyone thought that i was a hero. of course i took full credit. thanks for your reply.
May 10th, 2004, 07:49 PM
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Thanks for the responses. It sounds like a place I will have to visit.
Are reservations needed?
Do you know if there is a price list for the different services I might want to indulge in?
Can you recomend any treatments you have enjoyed? Mud baths? the reflexology massage sounds wonderful.
The few pictures I've seen show only model types, would a few extra pounds stand out?
Have you tried the Friedrichsbad Spa?
Are reservations needed?
Do you know if there is a price list for the different services I might want to indulge in?
Can you recomend any treatments you have enjoyed? Mud baths? the reflexology massage sounds wonderful.
The few pictures I've seen show only model types, would a few extra pounds stand out?
Have you tried the Friedrichsbad Spa?
May 10th, 2004, 08:49 PM
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We haven't gone to the Friedrichsbad, only the Caracalla, and we really enjoyed it! It was a unique experience. You will see all body types there, and all ages.
We didn't do any special treatments-- just going through all the different areas of the spa was enough- hot and cold areas, steam room and sauna, powerful jets, they do have on nude sun-bathing area (separate from the rest)
We didn't do any special treatments-- just going through all the different areas of the spa was enough- hot and cold areas, steam room and sauna, powerful jets, they do have on nude sun-bathing area (separate from the rest)
May 10th, 2004, 10:53 PM
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Marcy is right, you will see all sizes of people there, including plenty of people who also have a few pounds extra (actually, I would say the average customer there is not model slim).
I suggest you try to go to Baden-Baden and Caracalla on a week-day (but not Monday, when some stores and restaurants are closed). When we were there last, we had planned to go to Caracalla on a Sunday afternoon, but the line to get in was huge. At least a 30 minute wait and of course that meant all the facilities were very crowded. You will find it quieter on week-ends. Back massages are popular treatments; I don't know if they also do reflexology (that was at the Dorint Hotel, but you don't have to be a guest there to book a treatment).
A note: the Baden-Baden train station is in Baden Oos, a few kilometers from Baden-Baden. You can catch a bus right at the station (very frequent buses and the trip takes about 10 minutes) or a cab (as I recall, the cabs in Baden-Baden are all cream colored Mercedes), not too expensive.
The Quellenhof (115 euro for a single) and the Hotel Beeg (a little less expensive) are about the hotels closest to Caracalla, but the spa is in easy walking distance of most "downtown" Baden-Baden hotels. You might enjoy staying overnight...it's such a pleasant, relaxing town, great shopping, nice restaurants (in all price ranges), very pretty parks. In summer, there are also frequent concerts in the band shell near the casino. The town does get a lot of day trippers though, especially tour bus groups, during the summer, staying overnight would give you a better experience.
Jay, glad you enjoyed yourself! What else did you do in Baden-Baden?
I suggest you try to go to Baden-Baden and Caracalla on a week-day (but not Monday, when some stores and restaurants are closed). When we were there last, we had planned to go to Caracalla on a Sunday afternoon, but the line to get in was huge. At least a 30 minute wait and of course that meant all the facilities were very crowded. You will find it quieter on week-ends. Back massages are popular treatments; I don't know if they also do reflexology (that was at the Dorint Hotel, but you don't have to be a guest there to book a treatment).
A note: the Baden-Baden train station is in Baden Oos, a few kilometers from Baden-Baden. You can catch a bus right at the station (very frequent buses and the trip takes about 10 minutes) or a cab (as I recall, the cabs in Baden-Baden are all cream colored Mercedes), not too expensive.
The Quellenhof (115 euro for a single) and the Hotel Beeg (a little less expensive) are about the hotels closest to Caracalla, but the spa is in easy walking distance of most "downtown" Baden-Baden hotels. You might enjoy staying overnight...it's such a pleasant, relaxing town, great shopping, nice restaurants (in all price ranges), very pretty parks. In summer, there are also frequent concerts in the band shell near the casino. The town does get a lot of day trippers though, especially tour bus groups, during the summer, staying overnight would give you a better experience.
Jay, glad you enjoyed yourself! What else did you do in Baden-Baden?
May 21st, 2004, 11:43 AM
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btilke
we were for the day. did the spa for about 6 hrs if you can believe that. did some shopping and then drank copious amounts of lowenbrau. i did get to have a great german sausage and sauerkraut lunch. it was fantastic. again thanks for your help.
we were for the day. did the spa for about 6 hrs if you can believe that. did some shopping and then drank copious amounts of lowenbrau. i did get to have a great german sausage and sauerkraut lunch. it was fantastic. again thanks for your help.
