Our decision to write about Therme Erding for our first post is an easy one: It’s the best sauna we’ve been to, and as such, it becomes the mental yardstick that we use to compare all other saunas.
Therme Erding claims to be Europe’s largest spa. At 129,000 square feet, it’s the size of an average Home Depot, and we’re pretty sure that this doesn’t include the area of the ample garden area that’s part of the sauna. Our count of their web literature shows that there are at least 18 different sauna rooms, from the cool 95°F (35°C) Tepidarium to the 212°F (100°C) Erdinger Schwitzstube. The saunas range from the plain wooden box with a stove to the unbelievable: A Celtic throne room, a planetarium, a salt cave, even a bakery. For the shy, there are even separate saunas for women and men (they serve beer in the men’s sauna). To cool down there are showers throughout the facility near each of the saunas, and even these are over the top: A 15′ tall bundle of calla lilies dispersing 80 gallons (300 liters) per second of water, and a deluge shower in a replica of stonehenge should paint the picture. To round things out, there are pools, and steam 
rooms, restaurants, a pool bar and more lounge chairs than a cruise ship. And that’s just the sauna area!
Therme Erding also is the home of Europe’s largest thermal pool park (the largest pool here is 15,000 square feet, the size of a Walgreens) and water park with 16 slides. Access to all of this is included in the admission price for the sauna.
The sauna area, like most saunas in Germany, is textilfrei – nudity is mandatory. Don’t let the photos on the web site fool you, if you’re wearing a bathing suit in the sauna, you will quickly be approached and asked to remove it or leave. Wearing a robe or towel is acceptable outside of the pools. Other than a few small areas, the sauna is open to both genders.
You will want to bring a bathing suit, as these are mandatory in the pools and water park.
Arriving at Therme Erding, you enter a large entry hall, with entrances to the water park, pools and sauna. The sauna entrance is at the left-hand side of the hall. When you pay your admission fee, you’re given a key to a locker. If you didn’t bring towels or a robe, these are available for rent at the cashier’s station. The locker area is specific for people who paid the sauna entry fee, so most people just strip down at their lockers. There are changing cabins in each row of lockers for the modest. Bizarrely, the showers are gender specific, and each is equipped with privacy panels. You must bring your own soap and shampoo.
Your locker key is attached to a nylon wrist strap. There is also a black electronic tag attached to the strap. This tag serves as your key to re-enter the sauna area if you leave, and also acts as a charge card for any food / beverages / services you purchase. You will be required to pay your charges before you are allowed to leave.
Therme Erding is located on the outskirts of Munich, a short taxi ride or drive from the Munich airport, and easily accessible by regional rail (S2 to Altenerding) from downtown Munich. On weekdays, there is a shuttle that runs from the station to Therme Erding. On weekends, it’s about a 10 minute walk, and there are plenty of people on the train with you. There is a combination train / Therme Erding ticket sold by the MVV. This ticket will not get you into the sauna. If you’re driving, their website has printable maps, and they have plenty of free parking.
The best plan to attack the Therme Erding is to pack your spa bag, and buy the full day pass. It isn’t possible to even use all the saunas if you only buy the 3-hour card.
You must be 16 years of age or older to enter.
Here are several other Munich area saunas from our database:
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