Bagni Vecchi

Bagni Vecchi is the older and higher of the two bathing establishments at Bagni di Bormio, a locality in the hamlet of Premadio in the municipality of Valdidentro, in the upper Valtellina in Lombardy. It is run today as QC Spa Bagni Vecchi and is distinct from QC Terme Bagni Nuovi further down the slope, which is fed by different springs and has its own hotel; the two share the Bagni di Bormio resort but are separate spas with separate admission. The naturally hot water rises from nine springs on the dolomite flanks of Monte Reit at altitudes between 1,280 and 1,421 m above sea level. The water is classed as hyperthermal, sulphate, alkaline and earthy with traces of radon, and the springs emerge at between 37 and 43 °C, cooler in summer and in wet periods when rainwater infiltrates, and stable in winter.

Two of the nine springs belong to Bagni Vecchi. The San Martino spring is the highest at 1,421 m and rises inside the sweating grotto, with an average temperature of 39 to 42 °C; the Arciduchessa spring, also called Bagni Romani, rises at 1,406 m and feeds the pools of the so-called Roman Baths at an average 39 to 40 °C. Evidence of use goes back to pre-Roman times: a relief of a water god holding a trident surmounted by a fish was recovered in 1944 from the demolition of the church of San Vitale in Bormio, and the aquae Burmiae named by Cassiodorus in a letter of 535–536 AD are generally identified with Bormio, the basins he describes probably being the present Roman Baths. Medieval documents record a church of San Martino with monks running a hospice called the hospitium balneorum, and the upper baths were built in that period to exploit the higher San Martino spring. Leonardo da Vinci stayed here in 1493 and noted the baths in his Codex Atlanticus; Duke Ludovico il Moro of Milan followed three years later, and the operator's panoramic spruce sauna is named after him. The ancient baths at Bagni Vecchi were restored and reopened from 1983.

The present spa is arranged as a multisensory circuit built around the hot water rather than around swimming lanes. Its features include a panoramic infinity pool overlooking the Valtellina, an outdoor belvedere tub, the Grotta di San Martino — described by the operator as a genuine natural sauna, unique in the Alpine arc — panoramic saunas including the Ludovico il Moro cabin, and a salt grotto used as a relaxation room. Admission covers the whole circuit, 38 wellness practices, a bathrobe, towel and slippers, and the Aperiterme evening aperitif.

The spa opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 22:00 and on Saturdays, Sundays, bridging days and public holidays from 9:00 to 22:00. Entry is not permitted to pregnant women or to anyone under 14 years old, and payment is taken on site with a credit card required only as a guarantee.