Sauna bathing in the Black Forest

Some landscapes go with sauna bathing the way water goes with the hot stones. The Black Forest is undoubtedly one of them. The wood grows right outside, and the crisp upland air takes care of the cooling down, free of charge. By the time mist drifts through the valley or snow settles on the firs, the sauna cabin has become the loveliest place in the region.

Then there is the long tradition. Baden-Württemberg is the land of baths and thermal spas. Nowhere in Germany do more thermal springs bubble up. Over the centuries, the great spa towns on the edge of the Black Forest have turned bathing into a culture in its own right.

If you are staying at Engel Obertal, your sauna territory is under the same roof. The Wolke 7 spa has eleven saunas, along with freshwater and brine pools, whirlpools and a natural swimming lake, which in winter becomes the bravest way to cool off in the region.

They range from the classic Finnish cabin to a sauna built around a central wood-burning stove, where the fire crackles in full view. The panoramic windows are perhaps the finest detail. Instead of tiles, you look out on meadows, hillsides and firs from the sauna bench. The landscape you hiked through during the day lies still outside the window.

For anyone new to it, here are the essentials in brief. Shower and dry off beforehand, as dry skin sweats better. Eight to fifteen minutes in the cabin is enough. What matters is not how long you stay but the cooling down afterwards, in the fresh air and under cold water. Then rest and drink, and repeat. Two to three rounds make a good rhythm.

And yes, in Germany sauna bathing is traditionally done without swimwear. A towel beneath your body is compulsory, and you keep your eyes discreetly to yourself. If you prefer to keep your swimwear on, the swimwear area at Wolke 7 is there for exactly that. If you join an Aufguss, the infusion ritual, you stay seated until the end. Opening the door halfway through counts as the gravest faux pas in the repertoire.

A sauna works at any time of year, but in the Black Forest winter has a special status. When temperatures in the valley drop below freezing, the contrast is just right. 90 degrees in the cabin, snow-fresh air afterwards, and with a little luck a quiet fall of snow on the firs outside the window while you sit there.

A winter walk in the afternoon and sauna rounds in the evening are probably the most reliable feel-good formula in the region. No prescription needed and no side effects, apart from the deep sleep that follows.

If you want to experience the region's grand bathing tradition, the spa towns are where to look. In Baden-Baden, the Friedrichsbad of 1877 celebrates Roman-Irish bathing in seventeen set stations, a ritual in a Renaissance setting that has remained practically unchanged for almost 150 years. Next door, the present day bathes in the modern Caracalla Therme.

To the north lies the Palais Thermal in Bad Wildbad, a bathing palace with Moorish halls, marble and mosaics, and one of the most magnificent historic baths in Europe. Both outings combine well with a stroll around town. And ideally still end back home at Wolke 7.