Tapping into Ancient Healing with Thermal Therapies Around the World

Thermal Therapies Around the World

Throughout the ages, thermal therapies have been a source of healing and comfort, whether to soothe tired muscles, draw out impurities or revitalise the spirit. From hot springs to hammams to herbal baths, here are the time-tested thermal rituals to replenish you on your travels and connect to local culture at the same time.

The Healing Thermal Waters of Marseille

The healing benefits of natural springs have been documented for millennia, with records of hydrotherapy use dating back to ancient Egypt. Balneotherapy – bathing in magnesium-rich waters – has long been known to relieve joint and muscle pain, soothe the skin, reduce stress and even promote deeper sleep. Submerging in warm water also improves blood circulation and can boost immunity by reducing inflammation.

In the south of France, the Fount Coudes spring in Roucas-Blanc is one of the most magnesium-rich water sources in the country. First noted in medieval times, it put Roucas-Blanc on the map in 1875 as a popular resort and spa destination. 

Experience it: Today, you can still enjoy the healing properties of the Fount Coudes. The spring, and a preserved 20th-century archway built to protect it, have been incorporated into the modern design of nhow Marseille. The spring flows up into the seaside pool of the hotel, providing healing benefits and 21°C waters to travellers from around the globe, and creating a unique wellness thermal experience in Marseille.

Hua Hin

Fire Balancing with Traditional Medicine in Thailand

Drawing from Ayurvedic wellness, indigenous wisdom and Buddhist spiritual practices, Traditional Thai Medicine (TTM) seeks to balance the body’s four elements: earth, water, wind and fire. Perhaps its most famous “treatment” is Nuad Thai (traditional Thai massage), which combines acupressure, stretches and yoga poses. Other popular TTM therapies include luk pra kob (Thai herbal compress), hot stone massage and the similar salt pot massage, and pao ya (fire therapy).

Experience it: AvaniWell at Avani+ Hua Hin Resort draws from TTM in a selection of therapies with thermal healing at their core. The fire-rebalancing treatment Pao Ya features abdominal massage and an herbal poultice set alight on the stomach, a remedy to reduce bloating, improve digestion and clear any blocked energy. Chae Ya is a warm, herb-infused ‘power bath’ designed to soothe sunburnt or irritated skin after a day in Thailand’s tropical sunshine. Or for relaxation and detoxification, the Salt Pot Healing treatment uses warm pouches of sea salt to massage aromatic oils across the skin, releasing the healing properties of citrus, eucalyptus and lavender.

 

Pyrenees mountains

Thermal Recovery for Peak Wellness in the Pyrenees

There’s no better conclusion to an active day in the mountains than a long soak in natural hot springs. The Pyrenees mountains, located between France and Spain, offer world-class hiking, skiing and cycling, with glacier lakes, lush valleys and Medieval towns to discover. The mountains are also well known for their natural hot springs – Andorra features springs rich in sodium, calcium, silica and magnesium.

Experience it: At NH Andorra La Vella, hikes through the Pyrenees are complemented by thermal recovery at Caldea Spa, a sprawling contemporary leisure facility with multiple baths, lagoons and pools fed by mineral-rich thermal springs between 32°C and 34°C, and offering a wellness thermal hotel experience enhanced by the region's natural waters.

Indo-Roman baths feature a contrasting thermal therapy circuit – aiding muscle recovery, pain reduction and joint mobility – with heated pools, a cold bath at 14°C, and a rest area. A chromatic sauna with a 100% natural rock-salt wall promotes respiratory health, skin purification, and muscle relaxation. Then there’s the spa’s vast number of indoor and outdoor pools, lakes and thermal lagoons, with bubble beds, waterfalls and spectacular mountain views, to restore for the next day of exploration.

Time-Honoured Bathing Rituals in the Arabian Desert

The Moroccan hammam is another age-old healing tradition, used for millennia as a purifying ritual for body and soul. Traditionally, it begins with a warm steam session, before lying on a heated marble slab for rigorous cleansing with olive-based black soap and exfoliation with a textured Kesse glove, followed by a mud mask for purification, and argan oil for hydration, leaving the skin radiant and soft.

Experience it: At Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, set amid the golden dunes of the Rub al’ Khali in the United Arab Emirates, the 120-minute Royal Hammam ritual treatment takes place in an opulent marble space. Following a gentle black-soap cleansing, kesse exfoliation, steam and rhassoul mud mask, the treatment includes a purifying face mask and a back massage to improve blood circulation and release muscle tension. Private Turkish and Moroccan hammam rituals are also available, with the former incorporating a foam bath and the latter a rhassoul body mask and warm jacuzzi.

A Modern Sauna-Led Circuit in the Heart of Vienna

The healing properties of saunas have been known for at least 10,000 years, with the tradition as we know it today originating in Finland some 2,000 years ago. Their health benefits are both mental and physical – saunas themselves offer a relaxing, meditative space, while the heat promotes cardiovascular health by elevating the heart rate, widening blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.

Experience it: In Vienna, the sauna takes a contemporary turn at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, whose 800-square-metre spa modernises traditional thermal therapies from across Europe and the East. On the mezzanine level of this restored Neo-Renaissance palace, you’ll find a complete hydrothermal circuit, with a Finnish sauna at 90°C, sanarium at 60°C, and steam bath at 45°C.

After a day of city sightseeing, enjoy the thermal benefits of the sauna and steam rooms, then submerge in the spa’s hydropool, resetting the nervous system and supporting muscle recovery, preparing you for a deep night’s sleep and the following day’s urban adventures.