The ancient Romans already knew thermal springs in their country were good for their health and well-being and therefore used many. In modern times, they have developed into luxurious spas all over Italy. From the majestic Dolomites to romantic Capri and Ischia in the south, there is no shortage of super-luxury spas for you to choose from. Thalassotherapy is especially beneficial and we have them on our list. Whether you want to get fit, just relax in wonderful hot spring surroundings, travel alone or with family or friends, these nine spas in Italy offer the best for every taste and need.
1. Adler Dolomiti
Dolomites
The Adler resort’s motto is “let the soul fly” and it’s easy to see why. Located in the village of Ortisei in the Val Gardena valley, you are transported into the heart of the majestic Dolomites, all of which is designated a World Heritage Site. Summer or winter, the Adler resort welcomes you with the hospitality of the South Tyrol and not only offers you luxurious surroundings but also spa treatments that will relax and heal your body, and indeed, make your soul fly.
The Adler Spa has been refurbished to ensure it has the latest wellness concepts. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens and there is even a lake, with views of the mountains and, in particular, Mount Sassolungo. The lake has a small deck island in the middle and is connected by a boardwalk. Natural materials, local wood, and huge windows make for an atmosphere full of warmth and light. There are lakeside saunas, and for winter, bio saunas, Finnish saunas, Turkish baths, and a hot whirlpool. You can also use a yoga and meditation pavilion, with or without classes.
The treatments all come under the heading of ADLER REVIVE, a combination of massages, beauty treatments, and relaxation. Naturally, your stomach is also taken care of with a breakfast buffet and vegetarian cuisine as well as fine dining.
2. Palace Merano
Merano, South Tyrol
Merano is located in Northern Italy at the entrance to the Paessler Valley, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The elegant town is best known for its luxurious spas and delicious red wines, orchards, and apples.
In these beautiful surroundings stands the fairytale Palace Merano, founded over 50 years ago by Dr. Henri Chenot, often considered the father of the wellness movement. This is the first European spa to combine eastern and western medicine and the emphasis is on healing and recuperation. Its renewed program contains detox treatments, thorough medical assessments carried out by specialists, muscle and tendon treatments, and, following the outbreak of COVID, recovery treatments. If you are in bad shape, there is no better place than the Palace Merano to be thoroughly evaluated and prescribed the appropriate treatments to put you back into health and wellbeing.
3. Palazzo Fiuggi
Fiuggi
Just 50 minutes drive from Rome, you find this cool, marble-covered spa that makes use of the well-known thermal waters of Fiuggi. Even Michelangelo benefitted from the healing properties of the waters that cured him of a kidney stone. Today, you can either drink the waters or float in thalasso pools. The week-long program offered by the spa restores the kidneys and balances the immune system. You can lose weight and get into shape in a state-of-the-art gym, located in a former ballroom. The spa area, brimming with marble, features pools, treatment rooms, and a relaxation area. Equally luxurious are the rooms. Whatever you need to restore your health and wellbeing, all are professionally supervised with tailor-made programs at Palazzo Fiuggi.
4. Monastero Santa Rosa
Amalfi Coast
If you are looking for super romantic surroundings, luxurious accommodation, and unusual beauty treatments, this former 17th-century monastery — dramatically perched on a clifftop overlooking the Amalfi coast between Amalfi and Positano — is the right spa for you. The main building, now inhabited by pampered guests instead of nuns, is surrounded by a herb garden bordering an infinity pool. When you make it to the top, the church bell is rung to welcome you to the Monastero Santa Rosa.
Treatment rooms are in the old wine cellar with vaulted ceilings and what it offers are bee pollen facials, aloe body wraps, and warm candle wax massages. You will emerge sweet smelling and relaxed and can enjoy the gorgeous views and the scent of the herbs, once used to make special creams for Catherina de Medici.
5. Lefay Resort & Spa
Lake Garda
This elegant spa and resort is located in Gargnano on the western shore of Lake Garda, some 2 hours drive from Milan via Bergamo. Lefay Resort & Spa features a successful combination of Italian modern design and oriental treatments and philosophy. The luxury hotel has recently been refurbished and sports all white but cozy bedrooms, as well as deep armchairs in the lobby to enjoy the lake view through large picture windows.
One of the treatments offered is moxibustion. Derived from Chinese medicine, this procedure involves the burning of mugwort leaves close to the skin, and the heat is applied with a stick. This stimulates the flow of energy and strengthens the blood. Tai Chi classes with all their proven benefits for mental and physical balance are taught, as well as Zazen meditation.
There are five new wellness trails that, among other things, offer alfresco massages. In addition, the beautiful surroundings of Lake Garda invite rejuvenating nature walks.
6. Montecatini Palace & Spa
Tuscany
The Thermal baths of Montecatini in Tuscany, approximately 23 miles from Florence, have been famous for centuries. The Montecatini Palace & Spa is Montecatini’s first designed hotel and as such, is a first-rate modern wellness temple that leaves nothing to be desired.
Montecatini has four springs, which can be drunk in the Art Deco splendor of Terme Tettucio. This is a day spa where you pay a fee at the entrance and get handed a glass and fill over the marble sinks. There is also a four-star hotel of the same name close to the springs. Tettuccio helps with constipation, and the other springs are called Leopoldina (constipation), Regina (liver), and Rinfresco. The rooms of the Montecatini Palace are modern, there is also an enormous swimming pool, a garden, and, of course, treatments like massages and drinking the healing waters.
You arrive in Montecatini close to all the springs and spa, but there is another part, higher up, called Montecatini Alto, which can be reached by an old-fashioned funicular that dates from 1898.
7. Capri Palace Medical Spa At Capri Palace Hotel
Capri
Do as leggy movie stars such as Julia Roberts did and pamper your legs, boost your circulation and treat any kind of vascular disease in the famous medical “leg school” of the glamorous Capri Palace Hotel & Spa on the romantic island of Capri. Yes, the emphasis of the treatments in this spa is on the well-being of your legs, not only improving the shape but curing swollen ankles and everything else that ails your legs. To that effect, there are drainages, power walks in thigh-high hot and cold Kneipp pools, mud wraps, and leg yoga. Needless to say, these treatments are complemented by walks along the island; perhaps a visit to the villa of Axel Munte and the villa of Roman Emperor Tiberius.
After your legs, take care of your face with a Valmont facial, all the while enjoying stunning views over the Gulf of Naples. The hotel also features a first-class restaurant and luxurious guestrooms.
8. Mezzatorre Spa
Ischia
The luxury hotel and spa Mezzatorre stands on the northwest tip of the island of Ischia, with a 16th-century watchtower overlooking a private bay. Buildings and hotel rooms have a distinct Arabic feeling to them, which is very eye-catching, and prompted Italian movie director Luchino Visconti to make his home here.
The thermal center, surrounded by thick bougainvillea, features hydrotherapy pools that are fed by the hotel’s own thermal springs and even used for facials and specialized ear cleanings. However, what Ischia is best known for is the healing mud that brings help and relief for sufferers of dermatitis, rheumatisms, and respiratory problems. My mother, who suffered badly from rheumatism, went there every year and avoided deformed and painful fingers.
9. Acquaforte Thalasso Spa
Sardinia
What cannot be left out in our list of Italy’s most luxurious spas, is the place where 25 years ago, Dr. Cerina revolutionized the world of Thalassotherapy in the Acquaforte Spa in Sardinia. The ancient Romans already knew about the healing properties of seawater and this concept has been brought to new heights in this exclusive resort. Thalasso is, after all, the Greek word for sea. In spa pools, seawater is used in various degrees of temperature and saline density, all under first-class medical supervision. Thalassotherapy helps with detox and to rejuvenate the entire body. In addition, there is an Ayurvedic Park, yoga, and an aesthetic medical center.
The spa complex is located next to the ancient city of Nora.
There are many spas in Europe to choose from: