Baden-Baden Baths

I was in Baden-Baden I did not do this spa with the swim suits ( I did Friedichsbad, but only because it was single sex day). I found this article below

Caracalla Therme is Baden-Baden’s modern counterpart to the historic Friedrichsbad.

This massive facility covers almost 45,000 square feet and features an expansive family-oriented bathing area along with an adult-oriented, textile-free sauna zone.

As you enter the contemporary, glass-walled Caracalla spa complex you will begin by changing in a co-ed changing area. If you’re new to this style of change room, you just pop into one of the private changing cabins to put on your swimwear. Once you’re changed, unlock the front door (the one you entered through) and exit through the back door into the locker area. Voila! You’ll want to keep a towel or two on hand (especially if you’re heading to the textile-free saunas) but everything else can be locked up. The next stop is the shower area (segregated by sex) where you’ll wash off any lotion, perfume or dirt before heading into the main bathing area.

I didn’t spend much time in the main bathing area because I prefer textile-free spas. However, I did stop by for about half an hour on my way out of the spa in order to check out the family-friendly options.

The main indoor pool heats naturally to 34° Celsius and features lots of bubbles and falling water to help work out any knots in your neck and back. There is a swim-through passage to the outdoor pools, where you’ll find a shallow lazy river, a misty waterfall, whirlpools and sun chairs.

Back inside there are a few spa facilities including a hot water grotto, an aromatherapy steam room and a brine inhalation room (which was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen in a spa – it’s a damp steam room where salty water drips across a meter-high chunk of blackthorn tree to produce a salty mist supposedly good for respiratory health).

Outdoor Pools at Caracalla Therme in Baden-Baden, Germany

I spent most of my time at Caracalla Therme in the sauna area. This is a coed spa zone, made from a textile-free area with both indoor and outdoor spa and sauna facilities. You can cover yourself with a towel as you walk around the facility, but it neither required nor expected. There are countless places to relax and indulge in the Caracalla Spa’s sauna zone:

The Spectaculum – A dry sauna heated to 90° Celsius and the home base for most of the infusions (read on for more information about spa infusions)
Vitality Sauna – Also heated to 90° Celsius, this sauna doesn’t host many infusions so you can come and go as you please
Aroma-Sauna – Heated to 85° Celsius, this sauna features strong aromatherapy fragrances that change daily
Meditation Sauna – At only 65° Celsius and filled with the sounds of nature, this is a comfortable place to relax
Sanarium – Only 57° Celsius, this room uses colorful lights to boost your mood and help you relax
Fire Sauna – A quick walk through the garden takes you to this scorcher that was built from trees imported from Finland. Temperatures here reach 95° Celsius
Forest Sauna – Another wooden sauna in the garden area that gets heated to 85° Celsius and often hosts infusions
Blue Space – Inspired by outer space, this room is a comfortable natural temperature with blue walls, relaxing loungers and peaceful sounds
Green Room – A sun room inspired by nature with private views over the town of Baden-Baden, along with natural stones and bamboo accents
Plunge pools, showers and buckets of ice-cold water are located throughout the facility so that you can cool down (as you please) after each sauna
I loved having the freedom to move around Caracalla Therme according to my own personal preferences. As well, I loved the extensive schedule of infusions included in my general admission ticket. An infusion is a treatment offered in a closed sauna – it could be an aromatherapy experience, a body scrub or a special kind of body lotion.

We went to the no bathing suit spa. Never had been to such a thing. It was nothing to really worry about. All shapes of people. No one cares about you. You just go and do it. Isn’t this part of the thing about living like a local that so many yearn for?
Again, it is not a big deal excepting in your mind.

I too do not worry about shucking my suit, been to several nude, mixed baths/saunas and to Nude beaches.

But to get to the point, go to the Caracalla Spa, Ann describes it well above, but the entire main area you wear a suit, this includes all of the different pools, lazy river, water jets and falls, and even one or two saunas.

The upper level is the Sauna and Steam area, there, you are required to remove your suit at the entrance, and put it in a cubbyhole (or at least way back when I went) You keep your towel, you can wrap yourself in it, but it is mainly to sit on in the sauna and dry yourself after a cold shower.

At this Spa, you can do as you please, your wife as she does. The only restriction on her part, she will not have access to the array of saunas and steam room. But once there, maybe she will shed her inhibitions. They do offer additional services, but it is a different experience than the Friedrichsbad Spa, less regimented, basically do as you please, more adult water park than a planned Spa experience.

Is she is OK with looking at others, but shy about herself? If so, all you will need is two towels. One to sit on, including your feet! One to wrap around yourself for modesty. You can wear it in a sauna or steam room, but not in a nude pool. Some spas (as mentioned) have both suit on and textile-free pools.

Also, talk to the spa and see if there is an off time with low crowds. I love spas and many of them are relatively empty and have an older crowd in the morning or early afternoon. Evenings are for the younger crowd and are usually much busier. Additionally, if the spa has multile saunas (most do) you can often find one that is empty during quiet hours.