Leukerbad Therme

Leukerbad Therme is the larger of the two main spa complexes in the village, with over 10 indoor and outdoor pools fed by the local thermal springs at temperatures ranging from 28 to 43 degrees Celsius. The outdoor pools are the main draw: you can float in warm water while looking up at the 700-metre cliff of the Gemmi Pass rising directly above. In winter, when snow covers the surrounding peaks and steam rises from the pool surface, the effect is extraordinary.

The complex includes sauna facilities, a Roman-Irish bath circuit, and various treatment options. Day tickets are available without pre-booking most of the year, though weekends in high season can be crowded. The facilities are modern and very well maintained — this is a commercial operation at industrial scale, but a good one.

things to do sight
A story
The Roman soldiers who first exploited these springs were followed by medieval pilgrims seeking cures; by the 16th century Leukerbad had become fashionable enough that the village was nearly destroyed by an avalanche in 1518 and rebuilt almost immediately — the springs were simply too valuable to abandon.