The Bavarian village-style outdoor sauna area at Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, hosts a plethora of dry and steam saunas in its tiny houses. (Kristall Palm Beach)
Warmth, relaxation, sunshine and peace — any one of these would make me the happiest person on Earth. Instead, a cold front had the audacity to barrel into Bavaria to ring in the new year, bringing absolutely none of the above.
I wasn’t having any of it, and knowing that seasonal depression tends to hit harder after holiday leave, I needed to do something about this dopamine drought.
So I laced up my snow boots, zipped my jacket, packed a bikini and hit the road because I knew there was only one thing that could cure me in these trying times: the spa.
Some stellar recommendations from friends who were probably very tired of hearing my cold-weather complaints helped me to discover Kristall Palm Beach in the Nuremberg suburb of Stein.
I first learned about “thermes” — bathhouse oases offering indoor and outdoor pools, saunas and more — while vacationing in Austria a couple of months ago, and I started asking around for something similar within an acceptable distance of Grafenwoehr.
As of this visit, I had never been to Kristall Palm Beach before, so when I entered and spotted some of the largest crystals I’d ever seen, I knew I was about to experience the epitome of tranquility.
With a four-hour pass ahead of me, I hardly knew where to start: hot tubs, salt pools, water slides, swim-up bars. It all blurred into a very welcome sensory overload.
I drifted between mineral-infused pools in the main therme area before embracing my inner child on the water slides, sprinting up staircases to see how fast I could make it back down.
And in the middle of January, nothing quite beats sipping a cocktail while floating in a steaming outdoor pool as cold air swirls above you.
A map of Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, lays out the facility's indoor and outdoor water attractions. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, gets its name from the numerous crystals around the premises, including this 8-ton piece of quartz from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais at the front entrance. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, has a multitude of indoor single-person and group water slides, which are great fun during wintertime. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, has a designated "therme" area featuring indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs and saunas. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, has a tanning area with infrared lighting, providing some rays for winter visitors and a contrast to the typically dreary weather outside. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
An indoor wave pool at Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, is a great place to relax for children and adults alike. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
The indoor therme at Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, has crystal-infused pools, all of which list their individual health benefits and temperatures at each entrance. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
A heated outdoor pool at Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, hosts a swim-up bar offering alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, which can be sipped at the bar or poolside. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
One of the indoor pools at Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, is designated for fitness and recreation. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Kristall Palm Beach in Stein, Germany, offers water slides, pools, saunas and other spa amenities that provide respite from the winter weather in Bavaria. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
About an hour in, I realized I still hadn’t explored the sauna area, which had pools, Himalayan salt rooms, steam baths, and citrus-scented saunas to fill the large space.
The highlight for me, though, was the salt pool, whose brine content seemed reminiscent of the Dead Sea. I floated without gravity for what felt like minutes but was probably closer to an hour.
Here I remind Americans of the usual caveat that most German saunas are clothing-free. It may take a moment to mentally adjust, but the experience is respectful and nonjudgmental. Wrapped in only a robe and armed with just a towel, I stepped into what felt like a different world entirely.
Relaxing in intense heat doesn’t come naturally, but once you settle in, the benefits are undeniable, my favorite of which was the deep, uninterrupted sleep I got that night.
While I couldn’t document this part of the journey due to strict no-phone rules in the sauna area, I especially enjoyed the Himalayan salt room, which also had infrared spine rests that were great for my back issues.
Outside a part of the facility, a miniature model of a Bavarian village revealed itself, with each little building housing a different themed sauna. There was even a gondola sauna with a view of a staged helicopter.
Sometimes you get comfortable being uncomfortable, a phrase the military taught me and one I’ve learned to appreciate. And here, in the heat of the sauna, that discomfort is exactly where the stress begins to disappear.
If you’re not quite ready to take on the sauna area, the therme section offers plenty of family-friendly pools and attractions, including a few smaller saunas for those who prefer to stay away from the main complex.
By the time I left, Bavaria’s gray skies hadn’t changed, but my mood certainly had.
I know Kristall Palm Beach won’t be a one-time visit. Between the affordability, the sheer variety and the reset it offers, it’s the kind of place that makes winter not just bearable, but something to look forward to.
Kristall Palm Beach
Address: Albertus Magnus Strasse 29, Stein, Germany
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-midnight. Check the website in advance for notification of any special events.
Cost: Adults and children 16 and over, 20 to 30 euros; children 4-15, 14 to 22 euros; children up to age 4, 4 euros. Prices depend on whether guests purchase a two-hour, four-hour or day pass.
Information: Online: palm-beach.de
