Karlbad, Farmer bath in Krems in Kärnten, Austria

Karlbad is a traditional farmer bath at 1,693 metres in the Nockberge Biosphere Park in the Gurktal Alps, in the municipality of Krems in Kärnten. Its Carinthian-style building, a log structure on a masonry ground floor, was given its present form in 1893. The ground floor channels cold spring water through wooden gutters into 14 tubs hewn from larch trunks, and a small guesthouse has seven rooms.

The bath was founded in the 17th century and took its current form in 1893, when it was rebuilt as a timber structure typical of Carinthian mountain architecture. Since then, it has remained largely unchanged in layout and purpose.

The name likely comes from the small Kar hollow north of the bath, whose springs feed the Karlbach stream; the site was once called Kärlbad von Bad im Kärl(ein). Bathers enter the tubs separated by sex, stay naked and silent for about three quarters of an hour, then rest in bed. The host's long drawn-out call "Bådn" summons guests to the water.

The bath is open from June through September, and reservations are required in advance because the number of daily visitors is limited. The mountain setting means weather can shift quickly, so bring layers and clothing suited to cooler conditions.

The water is heated using a very old method: hot stones taken from the nearby Karl stream are thrown directly into the cold spring water, causing them to crack with a sharp sound. As the stones break apart, they release minerals into the water and bring it to bathing temperature.