Where to find Europe's most indulgent mountain spas

Olly Beckett

Mountains don't have to be cold and inhospitable places. They can be serene, soothing and steamy. That is, if you prefer to experience them from the indulgent comfort of a spa.

Relaxing at a European mountain spa © Mmphoto - Adobe Stock Image

Europe's mountain ranges are delightfully diverse, as are the spas which can be found among them. What connects the spas below is their luxuriousness, range of facilities, value for money and easy access to public transport.

Getting there: book your mountain escape with Crystal Ski^*, which offers great value seasonal breaks to Europe's most beloved resorts.

Les Thermes de Saint-Gervais, France

Huddling in at a particularly verdant end of the Arve Valley, Les Thermes de Saint-Gervais was founded in 1806 above where hot springs bubble from the ground.

An instant success, in 1892, a landslide then swept all the facility's buildings away, apart from the chapel, which can still be seen today. The Thermes re-opened two years later and are now in the hands of L'Oreal.

The emphasis here is on the medicinal benefits of thermal springs; the sulphurous fountain in reception makes it fragrantly obvious that these are genuine mineral-rich waters rising from deep in the Earth.

Once you've swapped outdoor clothes for fluffy robes, you'll step into the darkened ground-floor area, which offers saunas of varying temperatures, steam rooms and hot tubs. Upstairs is more of the same with the addition of a large space that will mist, drip or drench you in that healthy H2O.

Scenic commune of Saint-Gervais, France © Arsenie Krasnevsky - Shutterstock.com

Arguably, the best area is outside. A warm pool transitions you from indoors to beneath Alpine skies. Here, too, are a few large hot tubs where your skin will soak in those minerals while you enjoy the sight of cable cars skimming high above.

In the low season, it costs just €39 for a three-hour visit. A few minutes' walk from the spa's front door is a lift connecting the valley with Saint-Gervais^* (which is connected by cable car to Le Fayet train station).

Climate in Chamonix

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	-5	-5	-4	-0	4	8	11	10	8	4	-2	-4
Hours of sunshine (daily)	4	4	5	6	6	7	8	7	6	5	4	4
Days with some rainfall	16	15	17	18	19	18	15	15	13	13	15	15

Note: just 10 miles from Saint-Gervais.

Silvretta Therme, Ischgl, Austria

This huge shimmering silver building in Ischgl^* only opened in December 2022, but it still has that shiny new feel to it. Inside is a spa lover's wonderland. It's also got much to commend it to pool lovers too, with big watery areas next to walls of glass.

Inside the snow room at Silvretta Therme, Ischgl © Silvrettaseilbahn AG

One of the best parts of Silvretta Therme is located towards the top, where a large sauna sprawls with panoramic views of the Tyrolean mountains. Here, too, is a sumptuously warm outdoor pool, the perfect place from which to stargaze. The spa's thoughtfully designed restaurant offers a large menu with a good range of genuinely tasty healthy options.

Prices for the spa start at €25.50 for a four-hour session (if booked more than 30 days before your visit). Buses depart frequently between Ischgl and Landeck-Zams train station.

Sport Wellness Mountain Spa 1850, Andorra

In the mountain town of Soldeu^* is this most splendid spa. It's a sizeable one, too, with ample space to accommodate both visitors and guests of the luxury hotel in which it's situated.

At 1,850 metres, the Sport Wellness Mountain Spa^* makes the most of its Pyrenean views. Sooth limbs in the hot, bubbling water of an outdoor pool that juts out from the spa. Back inside and upstairs from the waterfalls that splash into the large main pool, there are some Jacuzzis set beside large panoramic windows.

In total, this spa has three floors to explore and includes the usual range of steam rooms and saunas of various temperatures.

Spa sessions are €43 before 3 pm and €52 thereafter. Regular buses run directly between the hotel and the capital, Andorra la Vella.

Climate in Soldeu

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	0	1	3	5	9	14	18	17	15	9	4	1
Hours of sunshine (daily)	5	5	5	6	6	7	9	8	6	5	5	4
Days with some rainfall	13	12	13	16	17	15	11	12	12	12	12	12

QC Terme Pré Saint Didier, Italy

Just down the road from the popular Italian ski resort of Courmayeur^* is this grand property belonging to the international QC Terme brand. Like many of their other thermal baths, the Pré Saint Didier is situated in, and outside of, a palatial building.

Constructed for spa-goers in 1834, the grand building houses calming rooms on different themes, including one with giant nets on which you can lie back and chill out. Outside are large, heated pools and sauna chalets wrapped in huge windows through which you can look up to Mont Blanc.

Enjoy the thermal pools at QC Terme Pré Saint Didier - photo courtesy of QC Group

The main building also contains a restaurant serving fresh and healthy cuisine. A newer, tastefully designed building houses a low-light pool, a Kneipp pool and sensorial showers. Visiting in winter, the air may be chilly, but heated outdoor racks keep sumptuous bathrobes warm for those jaunts between sauna and pool.

Book ahead to get the best prices, which start at €46 for sessions beginning at 7 pm, or €56 for a five-hour visit at any time. Buses depart a short walk from the spa and run directly to Courmayeur or Aosta.

Climate in Bourg-Saint-Maurice

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Maximum daytime temperature °C	-1	-1	2	5	10	14	17	16	13	8	3	-0
Hours of sunshine (daily)	4	4	5	5	6	7	8	7	6	5	4	3
Days with some rainfall	16	15	17	18	19	18	15	15	13	13	15	15

Note: although technically in France, it's only 15 miles from Saint Didier.

Zion Spa Luxury, Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia

Located on the ground floor of a five-star hotel in scenic Štrbské Pleso, this serene spa has huge floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the full length of the facility.

Just the other side of those windows is the glacial Štrbské Pleso lake, beyond which are thick pine forests and grand Tatras peaks. Back inside, you'll find hot tubs, hotter Finnish saunas, a caldarium, aromatic steam rooms, an infrared sauna, experience showers, and a Kneipp pool.

The main pool is 16 metres long, perfect for floating beneath the chandelier-laden ceiling and gazing up at those snowy mountains, reflecting on how Finnish people can tolerate such hot saunas.

Hotel guests can use the spa for free, but visitors must book ahead and pay €105 for entry to both the fitness centre and spa. It's a very pretty two-hour journey on the Tatra Electric Railway from Poprad to Štrbské Pleso via Starý Smokovec.