Vierordtbad

Vierordtbad is a thermal bath complex in Karlsruhe featuring multiple indoor swimming areas with varying water temperatures and an extensive sauna zone. The facility also includes two outdoor sections offering saltwater and lithium pools for additional bathing experiences.

This facility opened in 1900, made possible by banker Heinrich Vierordt's foundation created in 1873 with the goal of developing modern bathing facilities. The philanthropic effort established Karlsruhe as a thermal bath destination.

The building blends Italian architectural style with 19th-century European bathhouse traditions, featuring a striking central rotunda that faces the Festplatz square. This grand entrance creates a sense of arrival and marks the transition from street to leisurely retreat.

The facility sits at Ettlinger Straße 4 and offers swimming areas alongside massage services, beauty treatments, and a bistro for refreshments. Plan to spend several hours here since the different zones provide varying experiences and moving between areas takes time.

The complex draws water from natural thermal springs that enrich it with minerals including lithium, giving the water natural properties different from chlorinated pools elsewhere. This natural mineralization creates a bathing experience shaped by geology rather than chemistry.