Dampfbad Basel

Whether you are local or in town for shopping, a meeting or an event, the Dampfbad in northern Basel’s St. Johann is the perfect retreat. Combining an oriental hammam with two steam rooms and a range of massages, it is an oasis of calm in muted beiges and greys. The recommended ritual includes a warming shower, 10 minutes in an aromatic 48 degrees steam room, a body scrub and a session in the 34 degrees relaxation pool, and can be repeated as many times as you like. Booking a massage as part of your visit is a luxurious addition. Thoughtful touches that enhance comfort include complimentary spiced tea, apples and eye masks in the rest room, natural Aesop toiletries in the showers and an endless supply of gold-threaded ‘Pestemals’ (Turkish bath towels) to protect your modesty. That’s right, you don’t have to be naked to enter – something of a rarity in Swiss steam rooms.