We owe the Romans a great deal for inventing many things, from straight roads, the alphabet, public sanitation systems to the months of the year. However, they have a legacy that we cannot live without, and that is hot springs.
The mountain resort town of Bormio is home to some of the best hot springs in Italy. Bagni Vecchi (old bath), Bagni Nuovi (new bath), and Bormio Terme (spa) offer visitors a variety of ways to enjoy, from relaxing in natural steam rooms to indulging in resort-style treatments. We’ve compiled a list of must-visit hot springs in Bormio, including popular ones, in case you just want to relax in natural hot springs right at the source…
Bagni Vecchi Spa
Bagni Vecchi is a luxurious hot spring spa that has been in operation for over 2,000 years.
Rome may have been built in a day, but anyone who built Bagni Vecchi surely took a lot of time to perfect it. From normal hot springs to stone-carved steam rooms deep underground, this ancient and luxurious spa has reached perfection. Soaking in an outdoor pool and admiring the view of the Bormio valley is a truly rewarding experience.
Bagni Nuovi Spa
Bagni Nuovi offers visitors a modern spa experience amidst the majestic natural scenery.
Bagni Nuovi offers visitors a modern spa experience right in the town center. This spa has recently been renovated with various hot springs options, leading water that has healing properties from three springs on the nearby Reit mountain. These hot springs maintain a hot temperature throughout the year, even in winter, when the Dolomite mountains in the distance are covered in a thick blanket of snow, providing an unforgettable experience for visitors.
Bormio Terme Spa
Bormio Terme is a fully renovated hot springs facility located in the center of Bormio.
Bormio Terme Spa can meet the needs of all visitors thanks to the clever combination of therapy, relaxation, entertainment, and health care. You can quietly soak and relax in hot springs, swim in the U-shaped pool with varying temperatures, or bathe in mineral mud, while children can have fun at the water slide area and indoor pool. For maximum relaxation, try the breath-hold therapy, which improves health from the inside out with hot water droplets.
Pliniana hot spring
The Pliniana hot spring is one of the nine hot springs in Bornio, located just a short walk from Bagni Nuovi.
A historian named Pliny the Elder was the first Roman to record the benefits of the Bormio hot springs for health, so it is not surprising that one of these springs was named after him. To get to Pliniana, you have to walk along a beautiful winding path from Bagni Nuovi and cross the Adda mountain pass. Many tourists come to this hot spring in the summer, but if you are brave enough to come here in the winter, you will be rewarded with a very private space to soak in.
San Martino Hot Spring
To get to the San Martino hot spring, you have to go through a dark tunnel starting from Bagni Vecchi. The “Sweating Grotto” of San Martino is divided into three parts: paradise, purgatory, and hell. It is named so because the temperature increases as you get closer to the source of the spring. The water sprays from the ground at a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, filling the pools at a rate of approximately 250 liters per minute. To get there, you will have to walk down a dark tunnel in Bagni Vecchi, which is 50 meters long and crosses the dolomite limestone of Monte Braulio.
San Carlo Hot Spring
The water from the San Carlo hot spring has been used to treat conjunctivitis since Roman times. Before being renamed “San Carlo,” this spring was called the “source of the eyes” because the water here has been used to treat conjunctivitis for centuries. Hundreds of years later, this water is still used as an eye medicine, and strangely enough, it is also used as drinking water without filtration. With an average temperature of 18 to 19 degrees Celsius, San Carlo has the lowest temperature of all the hot springs in Bormio.