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Sweating for Beauty

The Finns have known it for a long time, but South Tyroleans love it more and more: a visit to the sauna. Which sauna is suitable for whom, and why you should avoid eating garlic before sweating.

Sweating is good! Sweating is not only healthy, it also makes you beautiful.

Regular sauna visits strengthen the immune system and help exercise the heart and circulation. While sweating, however, the skin is well-supplied with blood as well as with plenty of oxygen and nutrients. The result is that the skin becomes rosy and taut all over. But simply putting yourself into a hot sauna is the wrong approach. There is more to a proper sauna experience. First and foremost, consider the most suitable type of sauna.

At Merano’s Thermal Baths there are several saunas: three steam baths (one in the spa park), the South Tyrolean organic hay sauna, the caldarium with brine inhalation, and the Finnish log cabin sauna in the open air. Here you can sweat nicely and healthily at temperatures between 40 and 100 degrees.

Finnish Sauna – the Classic
One Finnish sauna in Merano’s Thermal Baths is located indoors, with another in the outdoor area. This is also one of the largest log cabin saunas in South Tyrol, with space for up to 100 people. In a Finnish sauna, expect dry hot air (ten percent humidity) at temperatures between 90 and 100 degrees. This sauna cleanses the body of toxins, strengthens the immune system and exercises the heart and circulation. What is especially great: in the log cabin sauna, you can cool off afterward in a specially separated nude area directly in the fresh air.

Organic Hay Sauna – a Gentle Alternative to the Finnish Sauna
The moist warm air and lower temperatures release the essential oils of the hay, and are easily absorbed through the respiratory tract and skin. This has a calming, relaxing and anti-inflammatory effect.

Trauttmansdorff Steam Bath – Infusion in Orange
The steam bath "Trauttmansdorff" is decorated in orange. All infusions are made here using native, organic herbs from the botanical Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle. The steam bath is between 42 to 45 degrees at 100 percent humidity. It relieves chronic rheumatic pains and superficial circulatory problems and is also suitable for treating mild colds and coughs.

Passerstein Steam Bath – a Sauna in the Style of the Ancient Romans
New in 2018 is the Passerstein steam bath. Here a humidity level of of 95 to 100 percent and a temperature between 42 and 48 degrees are maintained. Due to the high humidity and the constant heat, the pores of the skin are opened, the healing process for colds and coughs is strengthened, the muscles relaxed and the cardiovascular system is exercised. In addition, the steam room is ideal for preparing for a sauna session at which temperatures are higher and the heat is drier. The steam room has space for up to twenty people.

In addition to the sauna world, there are 25 outdoor and indoor pools, a fitness center and a five-hectare park at the Terme Merano. The outdoor area is open annually from 15 May. The thermal water is collected in a 1,200 meter long gallery on the Vigiljoch mountain near Lana.

Our tip for summer: lie back in the park, as there is usually not much going on and you can enjoy your visit that much more. And for a bit of time for two, there is an on-site nursery.

By the way, Merano’s Thermal Baths with its large, elegant building stands in the middle of the spa town, which is unique for a spa facility. A visit can therefore be combined well with a stroll through the city or in winter with a visit to the famous Merano Christmas Market.

Special tip: visit Terme Merano in winter when it is dark. Buy a three-hour ticket and enjoy the sauna and pools under the stars.

The Thermal Baths are also good for a more spontaneous visit, because in the on-site shop you will find everything (and really everything) that you need for a sauna visit: towels and bathrobe, soap or shower gel and flip-flops.

Once you have everything organized, our 7 tips for a sauna visit.

First and foremost: take your time. For a sauna visit, you should plan at least two to three hours. If you are visiting a sauna for the first time and are not used to the heat, it is best to go to the sauna in the morning and move to the lower benches. The heat is highest at the top benches.
In general: your last meal should be consumed around two hours before so as to not burden the circulation unnecessarily. Better not to eat garlic or onions, as they intensify the smell exuded by the body, and can be unpleasant for the other sauna-goers.
For hygiene reasons you should take a shower before entering the sauna. This will also remove any oily film from the skin. Then dry off – so that the skin will sweat better. Remove all jewelery and watches, because metal in particular heats up during a sweat bath.
Place a large bath towel on the bench and sit or lie down, which ever way you feel comfortable. A sauna session should never take longer than 15 minutes. Do not leave or enter the sauna during the infusion.
It is also best to avoid alcohol. But after the sauna, drink a liter of mineral water or diluted fruit juice.
When sweaty after the sauna visit, the cooling process should follow. It is better not to jump into icy water, as not every circulation can handle it. In Merano’s Thermal Baths, after the sauna go off to the snow room! At minus ten degrees, you can rub your body with snow - the cold shock, which is only suitable for people with healthy circulation, can therefore be avoided. Delicate flakes trickle from the ceiling. A feeling of being in the middle of the South Tyrolean glacier world.
After a sauna visit, exfoliation is recommended. With the effect of the heat and the steam, the skin is perfectly prepared for it. After that, time for rest. From 2018, the Terme Merano will have a new relaxation area – an additional, two-storey building with direct access via a staircase from the sauna world. The internal relaxation areas are to be supplemented with 190 beach chairs. The lounge, which is currently centrally located in the sauna world, will be moved to the new building and expanded with a fire lounge, giving the new relaxation area an even more comfortable atmosphere.

New: four private suites that seem to float above the pool
These suites are perfect for couples or best friends. An overnight stay can be combined with great spa packages. From the top you can enjoy a magical view looking down, but not vice versa, so that privacy is maintained.