If you are looking for a thermal spa in the Black Forest, you have plenty of choice – from classic thermal baths with warm mineral water to leisure pools with slides. This overview presents seven venues in and around the Southern Black Forest that are easy to reach from Ühlingen-Birkendorf, with distance, special features and notes on swimwear-free areas and opening times.

All distances are calculated from the hotel with the OSRM route planner. Admission prices are not given here: they change, and not every venue publishes them in text form. Please use the linked operator pages.

Thermal baths in the Black Forest: what exactly is a thermal bath?

Photo: GFreihalter /Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The word “Therme” goes back to the Ancient Greek “thermos” (“warm”). In the narrower sense, a Therme is a thermal bath, that is, a bathing facility that uses natural, usually mineralised groundwater. In Germany and Austria, groundwater that is warmer than 20 °C at the point where it emerges counts as thermal water. Newer thermal baths often place the emphasis more on wellness and entertainment than on therapeutic bathing.

Not every pool that calls itself a “Therme” works with thermal water; some leisure pools, such as the Badeparadies Schwarzwald, are listed by Schwarzwald Tourismus as leisure pools. You can see how a venue describes its water on the respective operator’s page.

Thermal baths in the Southern Black Forest and on the High Rhine at a glance

The table is sorted by distance from the hotel:

Thermal bath	Place	from Birkendorf (car)	Special features according to the operator or tourism organisation
Thermalbad Zurzach	Bad Zurzach (Switzerland)	around 26 km, about 35 minutes	Salty thermal water, according to Wikipedia 40 °C from a depth of around 1,000 m
Badeparadies Schwarzwald	Titisee	around 34 km, about 35 minutes	Leisure pool with palm oasis, swimwear-free Palais Vital and slide world
Aqualon Therme	Bad Säckingen	around 46 km, about 60 minutes	Fridolinsquelle (34 °C), Japanese sauna village
Solemar	Bad Dürrheim	around 51 km, about 50 minutes	Brine pools with 3 to 7% salt, 13 pools, 7 themed saunas
Cassiopeia Therme	Badenweiler	around 77 km, about 85 minutes	next to the ruins of the Roman baths, 2 indoor pools, 1 outdoor pool, 9 saunas
Vita Classica	Bad Krozingen	around 87 km, about 85 minutes	6 indoor pools, 3 outdoor pools, sauna paradise
Balinea Thermen	Bad Bellingen	around 97 km, about 95 minutes	mineral thermal water at around 38 °C, sauna park

Thermalbad Zurzach (Switzerland)

According to Wikipedia, the spring in Bad Zurzach was discovered in 1914 during a salt drilling and tapped again in 1955; the water is saline and about 40 °C warm. The thermal baths are on Swiss territory, so you cross the border when travelling from Birkendorf. You will find opening times and prices (in Swiss francs) on the operator's website.

Badeparadies Schwarzwald, Titisee

The Badeparadies consists of three areas: the Palmenoase, the textile-free Palais Vital (from age 16) and the Galaxy slide world with 23 slides. The opening times (as of October 2026) and further details can be found in the article Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Titisee.

Aqualon Therme, Bad Säckingen

The Aqualon Therme at Bergseestraße 59 uses water from the Fridolin spring; it is 34 °C in the Japan pavilion and 32 °C in the large thermal pool. The 200 m² outdoor pool is kept at 32 °C all year round. The sauna area includes a Japanese sauna village, a three-part sauna house with a salt-stone sauna and a panoramic sauna, and a swimwear sauna that belongs to the swimwear thermal area. There is also a fitness area, massages and a bistro.

Solemar, Bad Dürrheim

The Solemar works with brine: the pools have a salt concentration of 3 to 7%. The complex includes 13 indoor and outdoor pools, a brine steam room, the Dead Sea salt grotto and the Black Forest sauna with seven themed saunas from 55 to 90 °C. Schwarzwald Tourismus awards it five “Wellness Stars”. According to the operator, admission ends one hour before closing time.

Cassiopeia Therme, Badenweiler

The thermal baths stand next to the ruins of the Roman baths. They have two indoor pools, one outdoor pool and nine saunas; the domed bath was awarded a steel construction prize. The building was erected in 1875 as a marble bath. The operator points out that renovation work has been under way in the area of the domed bath since 6 August 2025; the marble bath has been accessible again since 2 October 2026. Please check the current status before you travel.

Vita Classica, Bad Krozingen

The complex consists of the thermal baths with six indoor and three outdoor pools, the Saunaparadies with eight sauna cabins and a steam temple, and the Wohlfühlhaus for massages and spa rituals. It lies on the edge of the Black Forest, near Freiburg.

Balinea Thermen, Bad Bellingen

According to Schwarzwald Tourismus, the thermal water rises from the ground at about 38 °C. The total water surface is around 1,000 m². According to the operator, the mineral thermal bath is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 (last admission 21:00), and the sauna park is also open from 10:00 to 22:00 (as of October 2026). With the Black Forest guest card, admission is reduced; the current price list is on the operator's website.

Note on the Revital Bad: The Revital Bad in Menzenschwand (St. Blasien), around 28 km from the hotel, closed at the end of 2025 according to the town of St. Blasien. No reliable information on a reopening was available at the time of going to press.

Textile-free thermal bath or swimwear?

In many thermal baths, different rules apply to the swimming area and the sauna. At the Badeparadies, for example, the Palais Vital is textile-free, while swimwear is compulsory in the Palmenoase and Galaxy. The Aqualon Therme has a swimwear sauna in its swimwear thermal area. Whether a sauna area is textile-free is stated in the house rules and bathing regulations, which are available on the operators' websites. If you prefer to stay covered in the sauna, the article on Textile sauna in the Black Forest has some suggestions.

Tips for visiting a thermal bath

Check the times: At several venues, admission ends before closing time; some areas are renovated from time to time (see Cassiopeia).
Bring your own: a large bath towel, bath shoes and shower products; the Badeparadies recommends large towels especially for the sauna.
Drink enough: According to DAK, a sauna session lasts about eight to twelve minutes; two to three rounds per visit make sense. This is followed by cooling down and about 30 minutes of rest.
Age limits: Minimum ages apply depending on the venue; at the Badeparadies, the Palais Vital and Palmenoase are accessible from around age 16.

Health: If you have cardiovascular disorders, asthma or kidney problems, you should speak to your doctor beforehand; according to DAK, you should avoid the sauna if you have an acute infection or a fever. Alcohol puts a strain on the circulation. This article does not replace medical advice.

Quiet wellness instead of a thermal bath: our hotel

Photo: Wellnesshotel Sonnenhof & Sonnhalde

The Wellnesshotel Sonnenhof & Sonnhalde in Birkendorf does not have a thermal bath. If you are looking for a manageable, quiet setting, you will find a spa area with us on three levels, with 450 m² of indoor space, 1,650 m² of outdoor space and an indoor pool of 84 m² (Hallenbad).

This includes three saunas – the panoramic sauna with forest views (Finnish sauna, 12:00 to 20:00), the garden sauna (swimwear allowed) (14:00 to 20:00) and the herbal steam sauna (bio sauna) (16:00 to 20:00) –, relaxation rooms, a Kneipp water-treading pool and two wellness tea stations. The spa area is open daily from 9:00 to 20:00; the sauna is for guests aged 16 and over.

You can also use it as a day guest: in the Day Spa , “Schwarzwald Light” costs €29.90 (admission plus wellness bag), “Schwarzwald” with afternoon snack buffet €45.90 and “Schwarzwald Plus” with country breakfast buffet €59.90. Book massages in advance at Massages in the Black Forest. You can read more about the facilities in our article on the Sauna landscape in the Black Forest and on the page Wellness in the Black Forest. Rooms and packages Book directly with us.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a thermal bath and a swimming pool?

A thermal bath (Thermalbad) uses natural, usually mineralised groundwater that is warmer than 20 °C where it emerges. An ordinary indoor pool does not use thermal water. Some leisure pools nevertheless call themselves a thermal bath.

Which thermal bath is closest to the hotel?

The Zurzach thermal baths in Switzerland are around 26 km away (about 35 minutes), and the Badeparadies in Titisee around 34 km (about 35 minutes). Among the thermal baths in Germany mentioned here, the Aqualon Therme in Bad Säckingen is the nearest, at around 46 km and about 60 minutes.

Are there textile-free thermal baths in the Black Forest?

Yes, for example the Palais Vital at the Badeparadies. Whether a sauna area is textile-free and where swimwear must be worn is set out in the bathing regulations of each venue.

From what age can you use the sauna or sauna world?

That depends on the venue. At the Badeparadies, the Palais Vital and Palmenoase are accessible from age 16; on Saturdays and Sundays a family day applies in the Palmenoase. At the other venues, the respective house rules apply.

Does the Hotel Sonnenhof & Sonnhalde have a thermal bath?

No. The hotel offers a spa area with an indoor pool, three saunas, relaxation rooms and massages – but no thermal bath.

Thermal baths in the Black Forest: overview and tips

Thermal baths in the Black Forest: what exactly is a thermal bath?