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Best hot springs destinations in Europe

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Iceland
Land of fire and ice
9.7
Set on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, this island country has many natural hot springs and geothermal pools. Most towns have a public geothermal swimming pool with hot tubs. Visitors must shower without a swimsuit before entering pools, which is a local rule. Secret Lagoon and Mývatn Nature Baths are quieter choices.
Highlights:
  • 🚗 Drive the full Ring Road and explore Iceland’s natural wonders
  • 💦 Soak in the milky-blue waters of the Blue Lagoon
  • 🌌 Marvel at the dancing Northern Lights in winter
Furnas
A Geothermal Wonderland
7.9
Cozido das Furnas is a stew cooked for hours underground by volcanic heat in this valley. Pots are lowered into volcanic ground near the lake each morning. Terra Nostra Garden has a large pool of warm iron rich water that is brown orange. Poça da Dona Beija has smaller hot pools.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Hike the flat trail around Lagoa das Furnas for scenic views
  • 🌋 Walk safely among steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pots
  • ♨️ Soak in the thermal waters at Terra Nostra Park's hot pool
Baden-Baden
Thermal baths and a leafy spa promenade
9.0
Romans used the hot springs in this Black Forest town almost 2,000 years ago. Friedrichsbad opened in 1877 and offers a Roman Irish bath with 17 stages of hot and cold rooms. Caracalla Spa is a modern thermal pool complex with indoor and outdoor pools. Lichtentaler Allee is a long riverside park.
Highlights:
  • 🛁 Relax in thermal waters of Friedrichsbad spa
  • 🍷 Sip world‑renowned wine at a local vineyard tour
  • 🌳 Stroll through the picturesque Lichtentaler Allee
Bormio
Alpine charm meets world‑class ski resorts
8.9
Local custom in this Alpine town is to end a ski day with a soak in outdoor hot pools. Bagni Vecchi has natural steam caves inside the mountain. Bagni Nuovi is a larger spa with indoor and outdoor pools. Pliny the Elder wrote about the springs of Bormio nearly 2,000 years ago.
Highlights:
  • 🍷 Sip local white wine in a mountain tavern
  • 🏰 Stroll through the medieval streets of Corso Unità d'Italia
  • ⛷️ Ski down Bormio's historic slopes at winter
Landmannalaugar
Colorful mountains and natural pools
8.6
Colourful and remote, this area in the Icelandic highlands has rhyolite mountains in pink, green and yellow. A natural hot stream near the hut area is a popular place to soak after hiking. The Laugavegur trail to Thorsmork starts here and takes about four days. Highland buses run in summer only.
Highlights:
  • 🌋 Photograph the striking lava fields and steaming vents
  • ♨️ Soak in the natural geothermal hot springs after a trek
  • 🥾 Hike the colorful rhyolite mountains on the Laugavegur Trail
Ötztal
Majestic alpine valley with crystal lakes
8.6
Unlike most spa towns, this Alpine valley in Tyrol has thermal pools surrounded by snowy peaks. Aqua Dome in Längenfeld has three large bowl shaped outdoor pools filled with warm sulphur water. In winter bathers can soak while snow falls around them. Sölden, a nearby ski resort, has glacier skiing high above the valley.
Highlights:
  • 🏰 Explore Innsbruck Altstadt, visit Golden Roof and Hofburg
  • 🥾 Hike to Watzmann summit for breathtaking alpine vistas
  • 🏂 Ski down world‑famous slopes of St. Anton am Arlberg
Azores
Volcanic Isles of Atlantic Wonders
8.5
Set in the Atlantic about 1,500 kilometres west of Lisbon, this island group has volcanic hot springs. São Miguel is the largest of the nine islands. Soaking in warm volcanic water is easy to combine with whale watching, hiking and crater lakes. Flights from Lisbon take about two and a half hours.
Highlights:
  • 🍵 Visit Europe’s oldest tea plantation at Gorreana
  • ♨️ Relax in the thermal waters of Caldeira Velha
  • 🥾 Hike through the volcanic landscapes of Sete Cidades
Budapest
A stunning mix of history and nightlife
8.3
Compared with most capitals, this city has more than 100 thermal springs under its streets. Széchenyi Thermal Bath, in City Park, has large outdoor pools that stay open in winter. Rudas Baths dates from the 1500s and has an Ottoman dome over its main pool. Romans used the springs at Aquincum nearly 2,000 years ago.
Highlights:
  • 🌇 Watch sunset from Fisherman’s Bastion over Buda Castle
  • 🏛️ Admire the Parliament Building from the Danube promenade
  • 💦 Soak in the historic Széchenyi Thermal Baths
Bath
Historic Charm and Natural Hot Springs
7.7
As a World Heritage site in southwest England, this city has Roman baths and natural hot springs. The Roman Baths museum is built around a sacred spring and a temple from about 70 AD. At Thermae Bath Spa, bathers can soak in a rooftop pool with city views.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Visit the historic Bath Abbey and climb its tower
  • 🏘️ Walk the elegant Royal Crescent’s Georgian architecture
  • 🏛️ Explore the ancient Roman Baths and Temple of Sulis
Karlovy Vary
Luxury Spas and Grand Architecture
7.3
According to legend, Emperor Charles IV found a hot spring here while hunting deer in the 1300s. Spa guests walk through colonnades with spouted porcelain cups and sip the mineral water. The Vřídlo hot spring shoots water about 12 metres into the air. The town also hosts an international film festival each summer.
Highlights:
  • 💧 Explore the grand Hot Spring Colonnade and geyser
  • 🏛️ Walk through the historic Mill Colonnade and drink springs
  • 🌄 Climb Diana Lookout Tower for panoramic city views
São Miguel
Volcanic Wonders in the Atlantic
7.9
Temperatures are mild all year on this island, from about 14 to 25 degrees Celsius. Showers are common, so warm thermal pools are pleasant even on cloudy days. Caldeira Velha has hot pools beside a waterfall in a forest. Ferraria is a natural pool on the coast where hot spring water meets the ocean.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Hike to Lagoa do Fogo for breathtaking volcanic views
  • ♨️ Bathe in the warm natural hot springs of Furnas
  • 🌋 Admire the twin blue and green lakes of Sete Cidades
Terme di Saturnia
Soothing thermal waters amid Tuscan hills
In southern Tuscany, this thermal area has free natural pools, the Cascate del Mulino, beside a large spa resort. Water flows from the spring at about 37.5 degrees Celsius all year. Pools are open day and night and free to use, but busy at weekends. Bring water shoes for the slippery rocks.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Sunset picnic beside the rolling hills of Val d'Orcia
  • 🍷 Stroll through medieval streets, tasting local Tuscan wines
  • ♨️ Soak in sulfuric thermal pools at Terme di Saturnia
Bagni San Filippo
Rustic thermal pools amid Tuscan hills
Small and rustic, this hamlet on Monte Amiata is known for a free hot stream called the Fosso Bianco. White limestone deposits form pools and a large rock shaped like a whale called Balena Bianca. The water is warm and smells of sulphur. Water shoes help on the slippery rocks.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Hike up nearby hills for sweeping Tuscan countryside vistas
  • 🏰 Stroll through the medieval streets and visit the historic Church of Santa Maria del Carmine
  • 🛁 Soak in the mineral-rich thermal pools of Bagni San Filippo
Blue Lagoon
Radiant geothermal waters bathe volcanic landscape
Water in this lagoon stays between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius all year, even when winter air is near freezing. The milky blue water is geothermal seawater rich in silica and minerals. It sits on a lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula, close to Keflavik Airport. Book ahead and check for closures.
Highlights:
  • 🍽️ Sample local Icelandic seafood at on-site restaurant.
  • 📸 Photograph the steam mist over volcanic basalt rocks.
  • 🛁 Soak geothermal waters in Blue Lagoon's silica mud.
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