bade:haus

The bade:haus Norderney is a seawater bathing and thalasso complex on Norderney, one of the East Frisian islands in the German North Sea. It stands at the Kurplatz, about 200 metres from the island's Weststrand, and is operated by Staatsbad Norderney GmbH, which also runs the island's tourism and spa services. The building continues the site of the seawater wave bath Die Welle, first erected in 1931 and rebuilt several times; German Wikipedia records that after a further conversion the house reopened on 13 August 2005 under the present name and was then the largest thalasso centre in Germany. The operator describes it as the largest thalasso house in Europe. The bathing water is North Sea seawater rather than a thermal or mineral spring: no spring, well or source temperature is published, and the therapeutic claim rests on the thalasso tradition, which uses seawater, marine mud, sea salt and algae together with the coastal climate.

The house is divided into three levels, each sold as a separate admission. The Spassbad is the family and leisure level, with a seawater surf pool, a wave machine, a slide and further attractions; the seawater there is held at 28 degrees Celsius. A raised toddler area called Hohe Plate carries bubble and baby pools at 32 degrees, and the outdoor part of this level includes a dune sauna. Admission to the Spassbad is priced by the hour in two-hour and four-hour tickets, with separate child rates.

The Wasserebene, sold as the Thalassobad, holds several warm seawater pools: a Feuerbad, a salt bath at 36 degrees with a raised concentration of natural brine, a massage pool and an exercise pool with massage jets at 32 degrees, and an outdoor pool at 34 degrees with a lounging area. A cold bath, waterfall showers, a seawater steam bath, hot stones and a solarium complete the level, and adjoining treatment rooms offer seawater tubs, massages, peelings and packs using Norderney mud. The Feuerebene is the sauna level, with a Kesselsauna at 85 degrees, a classic sauna at 90 degrees, a Kelo outdoor sauna at 80 degrees on the roof terrace, a steam sauna and a bio sauna at 55 degrees, plus a mud bath, extensive rest areas with heated and floating loungers and a silence room. Sauna infusions run hourly between 11:00 and 19:00.

The house opens daily from 09:30. The Spassbad closes at 17:30 with bathing ending at 17:15, while the thalasso spa and sauna level stays open until 20:30 with bathing ending at 20:00. Eleven apartments for one or two people are built into the same building and give their guests access to all three levels during opening hours. Payment inside the house is cashless only, and lockers are opened with the entry wristband. Lifts, a step-free changing room, pool wheelchairs and a water lift are provided. An aqua course programme, individual swimming training and a holiday swimming school for children run alongside general bathing.