Jugendstilbad

The Jugendstilbad stands at Mercksplatz 1 in central Darmstadt, on the edge of the historic city wall. The operator describes it as a former Volksbad opened in 1909, during the Art Nouveau period, and modernised and restored between 2005 and 2008. The restoration kept the bath house's two historic halls and their decorative fabric: the 25-metre pool occupies the former Herrenbad, where four lanes run between 1.35 and 1.80 metres deep at 28 C beneath a period youth figure and a fountain, and a stucco-and-painted balcony encircles the whole basin. The row of historic changing cubicles on that balcony is still let to guests, who lock the entire cabin rather than a locker. An air-lock passage leads from the indoor halls to a year-round outdoor pool held at 32 C with a cascade shower over it, from which the bath's restored tower is visible.

The bathing side is not merely a heritage swimming pool. A SPA wing holds a group of small warm basins: the Blaue Solegrotte at 34 C and 1.35 m deep, fitted with underwater music and bubble loungers and filled with a 3 per cent thermal brine; a Thermalbecken at 36 C with floor jets and bubble seats; a Kleines Solebad, also 34 C and also 3 per cent thermal brine; a cold plunge basin at 12-15 C; a two-part Kneipp basin at 18 C and 32 C; and a Roman textile steam bath at 45 C and roughly 100 per cent humidity with coloured lighting and scents. A children's area adjoining the Herrenbad has a 32 C paddling pool with a slide and a water snake, and a separate warm bubble bath runs at 34 C. Note that the operator presents the brine as a prepared 3 per cent Thermalsole; it makes no claim of a natural spring, a state-recognised healing water or a drinking cure.

The sauna landscape is the venue's main draw and spreads over two floors. Nine saunas, described by the operator as inspired from around the world, include a Finnish sauna at 90 C, a bio-Saunarium at 60 C with light therapy, a herbal sauna at 70 C, a Japanese rose sauna at 65 C, a Roman-Irish steam bath at 45 C, a Japanese onsen pouring station, an Arabic Rhassoul cabin at 40 C, an oriental hamam at 45 C, an outdoor Finnish sauna at 95 C and a separate women's sauna at 85 C. A warm basin at 34 C and a cold plunge at 12-15 C serve the sauna floor, with rest zones on the first floor and quiet rooms on the second, plus a terrace looking over the lit new building and the old city wall. In January 2023 the German Sauna Association re-awarded the bath its highest quality seal, SaunaPremium with five stars, praising the building fabric and the atmosphere.

Wellness and beauty treatments are booked separately: cosmetics, manicure and pedicure, classical and wellness massages including Thai and chocolate treatments, and the hamam and Rhassoul ceremonies by appointment, the latter for parties of two to six. Two restaurants operate, one on the Herrenbad balcony and one in the sauna area, both open daily from 11:00 to 21:30. The bath itself opens daily including Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 22:00, with bathing ending at 21:40; it closes on 24 and 25 December and shortens hours on 31 December and 1 January. A weekday day ticket for the bath costs 14.80 euro, the SPA tariff 22.40 euro and the sauna day ticket 30.80 euro, each higher tier including the tiers below it. Children under one metre tall enter free and reduced rates run to the sixteenth birthday. The site is managed by Aquapark Management.