Friesentherme

The Friesentherme stands at Wolfgang-Petersen-Straße 4 in Emden, on the East Frisian coast. Despite the name, there is no thermal source: the operator names no spring and no borehole, gives no source temperature, publishes no water analysis and makes no claim of thermal water, brine or mineral water. The published pool temperatures are those of a heated freshwater leisure bath: the adventure pool and the 25-metre sports pool at 28 °C, the teaching pool and the toddler pool at 30 °C.

The indoor bath has a 25-metre sports pool for lane swimming, an adventure pool with a current channel, a rain shower, a whirlpool, a wave ball and a hanging-traverse course, a teaching pool with water depth graded from 75 to 125 centimetres for beginners, and a paddling pool with a slide and water play figures. In fine weather the hall's convertible roof is opened for open-air conditions. Schools, kindergartens and clubs use the bath for lessons and training, and the operator publishes an occupancy plan showing which lanes and pools are taken; Mondays are club day outside the Lower Saxony school holidays. Swimming courses and aqua-fitness courses run alongside.

The sauna area is the larger draw; the operator calls it the biggest sauna complex in East Frisia, with six differently tempered saunas. Indoors are the Kajütsauna at 85 °C, Frieso's Ufer at 52 °C and a steam bath at 45 °C with a view of the dunes, together with a plunge pool, a lounge, a fireplace and water beds. The sauna garden outside holds three further cabins: an event sauna at 90 °C with hourly changing infusion ceremonies, a pond sauna at 85 °C with direct access to the natural bathing pond, and a tree sauna at 90 °C. Cooling is by plunge pools, an outdoor pool and the natural bathing pond. Mondays are women-only sauna days outside the Lower Saxony holidays and public holidays, and Tuesdays are run as a textile sauna. Infusion times are published on a separate plan.

The indoor bath closes in summer, from May to the end of August, and guests are then directed to the Freibad Borssum, the operator's open-air pool, which runs over the same period. Early swimming runs Monday to Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 with a self-check-in card at the turnstiles, not on public holidays.