Spa Day Review At The Tamina Therme In Bad Ragaz

To be fair, I’m not sure how I ended up Bad Ragaz. And I hadn’t planned on running the length of Liechtenstein. But a day after leaving Zurich, I found myself recovering in a town known for its healing thermal waters after running 20 miles across one of the smallest countries in the world. 

Liechtenstein was always on my radar, but only because of Heath Ledger’s character from the movie, A Knight’s Tale – the fake count Ulrich von Liechtenstein. My plan in Switzerland was to take the Bernina Express from Chur to Tirana in Italy. Bad Ragaz just happened to be on the way and I heard there was a nice spa there. I love spas.

When I saw how close Bad Ragaz was to the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the beginnings of an adventure materialized. I wondered if it was would be possible to bus up to the top of Liechtenstein and run all the way back to my hotel. Turns out, not only was it possible, it was easily doable in a day.

The next morning, I took a bus from Bad Ragaz to another small town called Sennwald and walked across the bridge separating Switzerland and Liechtenstein. There was one road that connected all the way through to the bottom of the Europe’s 4th smallest country. For the next four hours, I stayed on that road and jogged across the length of an entire country in just under 20 miles.

The last time I went on a run before today was nearly 8 months prior and my legs were not happy. Lucky for me, I had already planned for a day of soaking and relaxing in the healing waters at the Tamina Therme bathhouse

What’s Bad Ragaz?

Not what, but where. The translation for Bad Ragaz is literally Bath Ragaz. This small Swiss town is only a short hour train from the hustle and bustle of Zurich and has been a spa destination for hundreds of years dating back to Medieval Europe. The famous Tamina Therme bathhouse here has been welcoming guests since the 19th century.

Here, the thermal spring water bubble out at a warm 36.5°C after a 14 year journey through the Swiss Alps. The thermal water at Tamina Therme and in the town is known for its therapeutic properties and that’s what I was after. My legs needed some healing.

Coincidentally, I happened to be visiting during the time where hundreds of internationally-renown artists had installed massive art sculptures all over the town as part of the Bad RagARTz exhibition. With the Swiss Alps as a backdrop, these pieces were an odd but pleasant sight on my walk through the town.

The Tamina Therme Experience

Update: The Tamina Theme Spa is currently closed for major renovations between April – October, 2024. 

To get to the Tamina Therme spa, you turn into Hans Albrecht-Strasse from the main road running through town and walk up about 100m. From the outside, it’s a beautiful white building that’s hard to miss. The architecture is something to behold and the milky white exterior perfectly matches the design and feel of what you’ll see inside the spa.

Inside, you’ll pass a beauty gift shop to a reception area where you’ll pay for the entrance.

Day Pass Prices For Tamina Therme

There are many different packages and tickets for admission into Tamina Therme, so I’ll try to simplify it.

Admission to the Thermal Bath starts from CHF 23 for weekday morning bathing until 11 am and go up to CHF 54 for an all day ticket weekend ticket. There’s a full price schedule below for 2024. There’s an additional surcharge of CHF 18 for Sauna World.

The spa is opened from 8 am to 10 pm except on Friday when it closes at 11 pm.

I came in for the morning soak, so it was quite inexpensive. Considering what I had been paying for everything in Switzerland, this was a bargain.

After getting brief by the staff, you’ll be provided with an electronic key that will access your locker. I was a little confused at first as to where to go, but someone kindly directed me downstairs to the locker room. It’s on a different level from the main area of the spa called the Thermal Water World. There’s a separate Sauna World area with additional rooms and services for an additional surcharge of CHF 18.

Thermal Water World

When I finally changed and went out to the baths, I was blown away at the massive space that housed all the pools. The white architecture was stunning, and the columns, imposing giants supporting this minimalist space. The pools were large and elegant and the clear water contrasted well with the muted off-light tones of the floors.

In one word, the place was spotless. The white walls and the blue water can take credit for that appearance, but I’m guessing everything is actually very clean. It was also very spacious and the building was flooded with natural light. This was a stark contrast to most of the spas I’ve visited where the relaxation is done in the absence of light (Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Russian, etc).

I’m used to the warm wood and darker environments that typical spas use to promote calmness and relaxation. This was not that, but I enjoyed it equally.

The Attraction Pool

I chose to enter the large pool first, called the Attraction Pool. Each pool had a different temperature and this one was 34°C (93.2°F), warm but not hot tub hot.

In the corner, I found a peaceful spot to settle in, took a deep breath and immediately let my tension slip away. I laughed a bit inside thinking that this was my Thursday morning. After about 10 minutes, I moved over to one of the massage jets to work on my back.

“Oh my…” were my exact thoughts. Like a buffet, I continued on to the next dish, er, pool, so next was the 36.5°C (97.7°F) whirlpool. What a difference a couple of degrees makes.

I would have been happy to just sit still here for the rest of my visit, but there was more exploring to be done. Taking a break from the waters, I walked upstairs, where you can look down on the entire open structure. Here, there’s a quiet relaxation lounge area with recliner chairs.

There were a couple of doors there too, but I had no idea where they led to since everything was in Swiss German. Maybe the bathroom?

The Outside Pool

The next part was pretty neat. To get to the outside pools, you could walk out the door, or simply swim through a little opening that connects the inner pool to the outer one. Whoever designed this place made sure to pay as much attention to the garden and outdoor lounge space as they did with the building itself.

The outer pool was also 34°C and surrounded by a deck with chairs for sunbathing…or napping. In the middle was a large stone structure with a mini waterfall that was strong enough to give me a nice head massage. And that wasn’t even the best part. On two sides of the pool, there was a row of curved beds built right into the water shoot – with massaging jet streams. Amazing.

Underwater Massage Recliner

These massage recliner beds were my favorite part of the outside section. Spaced a few feet apart (to avoid awkwardly vibrating next to the person beside you), these underwater recliners were on a timed schedule that shot out jets of warm water all around you. It was like being in your own little hot tub, but in a curved reclining position.

In some Japanese onsen bathhouses, you can sip on warm sake while bathing. A cold beer here would have been heaven.

Time To Say Goodbye

I wanted to stay here all day, but had to catch the Bernina Express train through the Alps to Northern Italy in a couple of hours. I did one final round of moving through all the pools. This was certainly one of the highlights of my time in Switzerland and a definite must-do if you find yourself in Bad Ragaz or anywhere near this place.

It’s such a quick trip from Zurich and a perfect weekend escape to get away from the city. As for the water’s healing properties, I left feeling ready to run another 20 miles. But I probably won’t.

Hotel Recommendations For Bad Ragaz

It comes as no surprise that are some plenty of nice boutique hotels and grand spa resorts in this town. I found offerings that catered to solo travelers who just need a place to sleep to pampered escapes for couples and families.

1. Palais Bad Ragaz. This is the place to ball out if you want to feel like royalty. It’s located right in the same complex as the Tamina Therme so the location is perfect. They describe it as a boutique hotel, but when I walked in, it was more of a palace.

2. Grand Hotel Bad Ragaz. The only place fancier than the Palais is the Grand Hotel, which is actually 3 separate hotel option, all of which provide 5 star accommodations that are more modern than the Palais in aesthetics.

At the Grand Hotel Quellenhof, tradition meets contemporary style with all the luxury in between. The Grand Hotel Hof provides the same luxury but with a more at home comfort feel. The Spa Suites is full modern and takes their cues from designing around wellness.

3. Hotel Schloss Bad Ragaz. Though not quite as grand as the Palais, it’s a fraction of the price and still gives you the charm of an old world hotel with modern amenities.

4. Cubilaris Motel. Don’t let the motel part turn you off from this apartment style accommodation. This boutique hotel is clean and perfect for those on a budget who don’t want to skimp on comfort.

How To Get From Zurich To Bad Ragaz?

It is only an hour’s drive to get from Zurich to Bad Ragaz, traveling southeast towards Liechtenstein. It’s about 100 km. By train, it takes about 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 minutes and costs around 34-57 CHF.

You can book your tickets on the Swiss Railway SBB website. I found that in Switzerland, you can often book the day before for a specific time and get a heavily discounted ticket, so try that out.

Other Things To Do In Bad Ragaz

Although you come here for thermal baths, there are plenty of other activities to do, so definitely keep this list in mind.

1. Check Out The Tamina. The Tamina is a river that starts with the Piz Sardona in the Alps and eventually merges with the Alpine Rhine, running a total length of 18 km. It’s a great spot to go for a shady hike with pathways that run alongside the river.

2. Hike The Taminaschlucht. Just an hour’s hike from Bad Ragaz is the beautiful gorge and walkway with views of multiple waterfalls. Since it’s in a gorge, it’s a great option on a hot day if you want to some respite from the sun. Be sure to get your ticket ahead of time for the incredible lightshow in the evening. It costs 5 CHF to enter and opens from 9 to 5 pm everyday between May and November.

3. Go Skiing In Pizol. During the wintertime, the snowy mountain and slopes of Pizol is perfect for skiing and snowboarding. During the summertime, it’s perfect for those who want a uphill hike.

4. Visit The Lake At Schottensee. Just a short distance out of Bad Ragaz is Schottensee where you take in another of Switzerland’s magical lakes high up in the mountains.

5. Run Across Liechtenstein. Ok. Maybe not for everyone, but it’s right there. I took a bus from Bad Ragaz to the top of Liechtenstein and then ran all the way back down the one street connecting the whole country.

If you need any more travel ideas, check out my Bucket List to see if anything jumps out and inspires you.

Updated on May 28, 2024