Mediterana

Mediterana stands at Saaler Mühle 1 in Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg and is run by Mediterana GmbH & Co. KG, a family-owned company. Its own chronology records that the town's indoor and outdoor bath „Saaler Mühle“, opened in 1969, could no longer be operated because of structural and technical defects; an investor was sought in 1997, and after a build of barely 15 months the Mediterana opened on 1 June 2000, with southern Europe and the Moorish-Arab countries as the reference for its architecture and pool creations. The first phase incorporated the former swimming bath and added the sauna landscape, a fitness area and restaurants. Later phases added saunas and rest areas in 2002, the Himalaya salt gallery in 2004, and in 2008–2009 the closure of the old indoor and wave bath and construction of a new thermal bath, opened on 4 April 2009 „mit sechs Außen- und Innenbecken mit vier naturidentischen Vitalquellen“, followed on 29 August 2009 by a 4,000 m² wellness and beauty extension. Renovations continued: the large indoor Entspannungsbad in 2022, the small Massagebad and Sprudelbad basins in 2023/2024, a graduation tower (Gradierwerk) built into the Moroccan court in 2024, and the Haus der Elemente in 2025.

The water is not natural thermal water. The operator states that the quality and variety of Mediterana water rests on its own low-sodium mineral water, drawn from about 100 metres' depth on its own grounds, described by the Institut Fresenius as particularly pure and calcium-rich; after extraction it is treated with Grander technology and then finished by a process attributed to Prof. Dr. Biener using finely dosed salts, minerals and trace elements. The 2009 thermal bath is described as having „naturidentische“ — nature-identical — vital springs rather than a natural source.

The thermal wing (Therme) is textile-obligatory and its indoor basins are published individually: the Entspannungsbad, a large indoor pool of the house mineral water with a high natural calcium content, at 32 °C; a Solebad, a brine bath with numerous massage jets above and below water, at 31 °C; a Schwefelbad, the house water enriched with sulphur, at 35 °C; and an 8 × 20 m Sportbecken for lane swimming at 27 °C, also filled with the house mineral water. Outdoor basins, rest areas, a thermal garden with a barefoot path and a bistro belong to the Therme ticket, and digital aqua-fitness training is currently included free.

The sauna world is enumerated cabin by cabin with its temperatures and no total: Kerzensauna at 80 °C, with Moroccan lamps and a view over the lake landscape; Rosentempel at 65 °C in backlit sardonyx and rose marble; the Himalaya Salzstollen salt sauna at 65 °C; Forja de Fuego, a new creation built in 2024 in place of the former Moorish steam bath and stone sauna; the Orientalisches Bad at 32 °C in hamam style; Bain Arabisances, a mud-brick sauna at 60 °C; the Catalanisches Kräuterbad at 75 °C in sandstone with thyme, sage, lavender and rosemary; the Andalusisches Schwitzbad at 45 °C; Finca Sauna at 85 °C with an open fire and Balearic Lubina wood; Buena Vista Sauna at 70 °C overlooking the garden and pool; the Persisches Edelsteinbad, a gemstone steam bath combined with hamam; Rajasthanihaus at 85 °C, built around the three Ayurvedic doshas in untreated clay; Haus der Elemente at 80 °C with a fire pit, foot bath and two adjoining Kneipp shower towers; and Haus der Meditation at 60 °C with sound installations and panorama windows. Wellness pools in the sauna area are textile-free; gardens, arcades and rest areas require body covering.

Children are admitted, but not everywhere: the sauna world states „Zutritt für Kinder ab 12 Jahre möglich“, while the Therme admits younger children and gives free entry to those under 12 months. Early swimming is from 16 years, and no massages are offered to pregnant guests or to children up to and including 16.

Hours: sauna worlds Sunday to Thursday 10:00–22:30, Friday and Saturday 10:00–24:00. The Therme hours are stated inconsistently across the site: the price page and the company page both give „Therme täglich von 11 – 22:30 Uhr“ (labelled Sommertherme, from 1 June 2026), while the sauna page lists Therme access for sauna guests „täglich: 10 - 22:30 Uhr“, and a Frühschwimmer ticket runs 8:00–10:00 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The operator does not say which applies to whom, so both are recorded here. Published admission: combination sauna and thermal tickets online at €36 for four hours Monday to Thursday and €44 Friday to Sunday, holidays and NRW school holidays, €45/€53 for eight hours, €52/€60 for a day ticket, with tickets bought on site €3 more; a Sundowner tariff of €30 (Monday to Thursday) or €32 (Sunday) for five hours from 17:30. Therme-only tickets are €16.50 or €19.50 for two hours and €19.50 or €22 for a day ticket, with an early-swimmer ticket at €14.00. A personalised ticket is required for every sauna or thermal visit, and bathing shoes are compulsory throughout the house.