NetNude - An Oasis in Stuttgart Report

An Oasis in
Stuttgart Report

This report is brought to you by Den. Please email the preceding address if you have any questions or comments.

The opinions expressed are those of the person(s) who submitted the report and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NetNude.

An Oasis in Stuttgart Report.

April 2004

At work the other day, a colleague referred to it as "the Disneyland of spas." Some of you who travel frequently to Stuttgart, Germany (employees of Bosch, IBM, Compaq, Porche, BMW, Daimler-Benz, etc. etc.) may have even heard of it. It's at the Millenium Hotel (formerly the SI Centrum) and it is by far the premium spa experience I have seen in Germany.

And baby, that's really saying something. I've done Baden-Baden and Saunaland at the Olympic pool in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and they are both great, but this is something special. First off, I'm not a naturist, at least not yet. I may make it down to the nude beaches around Tubingen this summer. My impetus for writing this report, however, takes me to NetNude. You see, I really need to find a place like this in the States. Because eventually, I will have to return from Nakedland (aka Germany, where I live) to the bizarrely puritanical Land of the Free (but clothed.)

First I will cover what you can expect at the Schwaben Quellen, the sauna oaisis lagoon in Stuttgart. It reads like a laundry list of the best things I have found in German spas, but bigger and all inclusive. As you leave the changing room, you will look out over the lagoon. Careful now, it's cold. Real cold. Best thing for you to do first is to go over to one of the lower temperature saunas or steam rooms. The Meditation sauna isn't a bad choice. It's around 60C which is just enough to get you into the grove. The sauna in the Temple de Maya is a good choice as well. Here you will find shifting colored lights and a somewhat jungle setting as parrots and other wilderness noises sing a song of relaxation. The Tepidarium really isn't a bad first choice either. This Roman style warm but high humidity relaxation zone is classically done after the hot stuff, but heck if you like it you can do it again later.

It's not a bad idea either to go outside and sit in the hot pool "Meerbad" I think it is. It's a good place to just relax and watch while you get a feel for when the locals wear their robes and when they don't. After warming up, it is probably a good idea to go up to the resturant and drink a tall glass of water before getting into one of the sweat rooms. And these rooms will really make you sweat. The Eucylptussauna, the Krautersauna, the Birkensauna, and the Aussensauna all sport temperatures around 90C (and higher during an Aufguss* (read below).) Again back in the Temple de Maya is a hot as hell steam room. There's also the Roman Caldarium for hot steam. I'm not a big fan of these, but the wife likes them.

After ten or fifteen minutes in the hot box it's best to cool off a bit. Again, there are choices. One could take a quick dip in the lagoon, it is cold, sports a waterfall, and provides visual entertainment to those in the resturant. There's also the really cold immersion pool. This is a pool just large enough for one person to slide into, more of a tube than a pool. It's not readilly visible, but it's outside the Aussensauna, just to the right, up the steel ladder. One can also go into the glacier cave which is downstairs and just to the right after entering the Temple de Maya.

Naturally, a relaxing sunbath on the sun patio (Sonneterrace) is a good choice as well. This is my personal favorite if the weather is cool. Although, rolling in the snow after a sauna is dang good fun also. In addition to the above one can get an artificial tan downstairs, nap in one of the Ruheraum, get a massage, or go to the Turkish Hamman (which I don't even know what's in there.) My wife and I spent four hours there once. I spent two just the other day and had to force myself to leave.

As if the facilities themselves were not enough to make this place fantastic, the designers have also made it incredibly easy to navigate. When you arrive, one of two things could happen. She may say, "ein mal?" meaning "one?" or she may say something in Schwabish (which is not German) meaning "is this your first time." You'll have to navigate this without my further help, but chances are that one person at the counter (Kasse) speaks English. The attendant will give you a computer chip strapped to a wrist watch. This is your credit card while you are in the Schwaben Quellen. It is used to open your locker, pay for tanning bed time, and purchase drinks (or meals.) She will also explain that the entire area is "Sauna" meaning that nude is okay everywhere past the changing room.

After you get your chip, go to the Kleideraum (changing room) for your sex (Herrn for men, Frauen for women.) Once inside you will find rows of locks and the occasional panel on the wall. If you hold your chip up to the panel, it may or may not tell you your locker number. If it doesn't, try another panel. I have not yet figured out the pattern as to how to narrow down where your locker is based on the chip, but it doesn't take too long with the hunt and peck method. The locker will open when you find the right panel. Once there, strip down to your shower shoes. Take a towel and maybe a robe to the Dusche (shower) and scrub down. Proceed to the Ausgang (exit.)

Welcome to Nakedland. From here the Schwaben Quellen is your world to discover, although you should know some specific rules. Absolutely remove your shower shoes before entering any sauna. If you hear a gruffy German voice saying something about Badeschue, he means you. Go back out and take them off. Do not touch any wood with any part of your body. A towel must be between you and the bench (including your feet) at all times. Again, if you hear someone gruffly complaining about Fuss (feet) he probably means this. Laying down on the towel is acceptable also (and really relaxing.) Of course you can walk on the benches to get to your seat, but otherwise, be on a towel. I'm not sure about the steam bath rules. There seems to be some social confusion on what to sit on and if shower shoes are allowed. Each sauna has a clock to monitor your time in the oven. Alternatively, you can use little hourglasses posted on the walls. I don't think the steam rooms have these.

Regarding Aufguss. It is crucial that you do not open the sauna door if the Aufguss sign is up. I still haven't done an Aufguss, but it appears to be a quasi religious ceremony which could be dangerous to interrupt. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this place is. If you find yourself in Stuttgart for any reason, go. And if you need a guide send me an e-mail. All I need is an excuse to go. The real issue for me is, "is there a place like this in the United States, and can I get a job in that city?".

Website is HERE .

* (Aufguss) (Note from Jan: This explanation was sent in by Mickey)

"Den, in his wonderful description of the Schwaben Quellen, did not experience an Aufguss, from the German word for infusion. In German saunas at a certain fixed time a sauna employee, inevitably clothed, will come into a hot (90 degrees C rather than 60 degrees C) sauna with a bucket and a towel, and close the door. The sauna usually gets quite crowded at this point. The bucket has water scented with an aromatic oil - lemon, eucalyptis, rose, for example. The employee closes the door and puts on the Aufguss sign, so no one will come in and let cold air into the sauna. The employee will then dump the scented water on the stones of the sauna heater, and wave the towel to spread the aromatic steam around the sauna. When the towel waves the steam in your direction the heat is almost unbearable, but it is very brief. The aroma is pervasive. The higher you go in the sauna the hotter the steam wave is. The Schwaben Quellen is quite close to the Stuttgart aiport, and if you ever have a long layover there it is worth the trip. Mickey "