Auebad Kassel

The Auebad is the year-round bath of the municipal KasselBäder division, operated by Städtische Werke Aktiengesellschaft on behalf of the city of Kassel. It lies beside the river Fulda and is described by the operator as an all-rounder serving sport swimmers, leisure swimmers, divers, sliders and families alike, in every season. The complex is divided into four parts that the operator presents separately: a sports bath, a family bath, an open-air pool and the Saunawelt.

In the indoor sports bath the operator lists eight competition-standard 50-metre lanes, a teaching pool and a diving facility with a 1-metre springboard and a 3-metre platform. The family bath holds a large leisure pool with a waterfall, massage jets and bubbling loungers, plus a children's paddling pool with a little-boat channel. Two slides serve this part: a tyre giant slide of 116 metres and a turbo slide fitted with timing equipment. The open-air section, used in summer, has a combined swimmers' and non-swimmers' pool, a children's paddling pool, an adventure and water playground, a beach volleyball court, a lawn and a 10-metre diving tower next to the Fulda. The operator gives no pool sizes beyond the 50-metre lanes and no water temperatures; the water is ordinary heated pool water, and the operator claims no spring, borehole, thermal water or brine.

The Saunawelt occupies its own area at the Auebad. It contains a Finnish sauna, panelled in wood, run at 90 to 100 °C; a Kelo-wood sauna built of centuries-old naturally dried polar pine, also at 90 to 100 °C; a steam bath at 40 to 60 °C; and a Saunarium tempered to 55 to 65 °C. Infusions use only natural oils, dripped onto balls of flake ice so that the aroma is released as the ice melts. A terraced sauna garden planted towards the Fulda offers several resting areas and a tempered outdoor pool with a waterfall and a sun deck, with direct access to the sauna bar. A cooling area holds various showers, a foot basin and centrally placed warm and cold pools. Tuesday from 16:00 to 22:00 the sauna area is reserved for women.

The indoor bath is open daily 10:00 to 22:00, with early swimming in the sports area from 07:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays; the Saunawelt keeps the same daily 10:00 to 22:00 hours. Catering is provided daily from 10:00 to 20:00 in the Auerestaurant, and the sauna bar serves the sauna area and its terrace.