The mountainous southern area of Małopolska, especially the region known as Podhale, is gaining widespread fame for its modern thermal baths offering spacious and varied pools. Each such centre has well-developed and excellently equipped sauna zones. There’s plenty to choose from. Some offer mountain views, while others were designed to resemble highlander huts from the outside. Inside, you can enjoy infrared baths, steam baths, herbal aromas – the possibilities are endless. Some advertise themselves as dragon caves or fiery saunas. Of course, among the numerous options, you also find Finnish saunas and Japanese saunas. Many such zones have also been opened in wellness hotels scattered throughout the region, including several in Kraków: the region’s central city.
If, in a typical Finnish sauna, your heart beats faster only for its latter element, that is the leap from the hot steamy room to the snow or exceptionally cold water, look for online information about places for ice and winter swimming in Małopolska. We practice it here enthusiastically in many not-too-deep mountain rivers: aficionados often recommend the Białka River Gorge by the road north from Białka Tatrzańska to Nowa Biała, as well as numerous bodies of water such as Czorsztyn Reservoir. Near most of these true paradises for sauna and winter swimming enthusiasts, you can find plentiful ski touring and Nordic walking routes, as well as scenic walks through beautiful snowy landscapes.