Visit Les Bains de Gruyère in Charmey hot springs thermal water baths, hot springs pools, and day spa in Fribourg near Lake Geneva or Bern in Switzerland.
Les Bains de la Gruyère in Charmey is a day spa complex with warm pools fed by natural hot spring water, steam rooms, saunas, a children’s playing area, relaxation rooms, massages, and beauty treatments. The beautifully located spa complex – with Alpine and Swiss villa views from the large pools – is a short drive from Lake Geneva cities and Bern in canton Fribourg.
Les Bains de la Gruyère in Fribourg, Switzerland
Les Bains de la Gruyère is a day spa complex with modern facilities in the small town of Charmey in the Swiss Alps of canton Fribourg / Freiburg. The complex is very modern with an interesting circular design allowing for 360° views from many of its pools.
The spa in Gruyère has two main pools: a large indoor and a larger outdoor pool. Both are open year-round with water temperatures around 34°C. Both warm water pools have numerous jet streams, massage jets, shower spouts, Jacuzzis (hot tub), waterfalls, and similar features common to mineral water baths.
The hammam area is a quiet area where noise, including talking, is not allowed. The three steam baths here are of different temperatures and humidity.
The sauna zone has a nude, bio, and Finnish sauna with a cold revitalizing dunk pool. Children under 16 are not allowed in the saunas. The nude sauna is the only part of the day spa area that is textile-free.
Children under 16 are not allowed in the stainless-steel indoor pool or the Nordic and Oriental saunas and steam baths area.
A special shallow play pool for young children is separated by double-glazed glass from the other spa areas. Children of any age are now permitted in the large pool too but babies must wear appropriate swim diapers.
Time slots for massages, beauty treatments, and day spa options should be reserved in advance. The treatment rooms, wellness center, and gym are also not open to children under 16. In contrast to many other thermal bath resorts, Les Bains de la Gruyère does not emphasize the health benefits of the mineral-rich waters of the thermal springs and does not offer medical treatments or programs.
Les Bains de la Gruyère Opening Hours and Visitors’ Information
Opening hours of Les Bains de la Gruyère are long with the baths open year-round, including on public holidays. The spa is open on Christmas and New Year’s Day but with reduced hours.
The warm water baths of Gruyère are open daily from 9 am to 9 pm (closing at 10 pm on Friday and Saturday. The last admissions are an hour before closing.
Three hours of basic admissions including access to all thermal pools, steam rooms, and saunas are CHF 30 for adults (CHF 32 on weekends and vacation days) and CHF27 for students. Children 5 to 15 pay CHF16 while admission is free for children under 5. Overstaying is charged at CHF5 per half hour.
For CHF40, adults may use the fitness center (gym) and thermal baths for 5 hours.
CHF5 is required as a refundable deposit for the admission (and locker) bracelet.
Special deals are often available, e.g. savings for entry into the baths and the Maison Cailler chocolate factory or “ski & bains” packages combining ski resorts lift and hot pools admission on the same day. (As a result, the baths are much quieter in the morning and early afternoons in the winter season with winter sports participants arriving from the late afternoon and early evening.)
The onsite cafeteria serves fairly basic but surprisingly tasty meals and drinks. Several further restaurants are nearby with the rather grand Hotel Cailler across the road from the main entrance to the baths the best option. Overnight hotel guests enjoy free entry to the baths if staying at the luxury Hotel Cailler (unlimited access) or Résidence le Sapin (3 hours per day).
Transportation to Les Bains de la Gruyère
Getting to the mineral-rich waters at the spa baths of Gruyère is easiest by car. From Gruyères and Broc, it is a ten-minute drive into the mountains to Charmey, where the mineral baths are at Gros Plan 30 in the center of town. The route is well signposted but on a cool day simply look out for the rising steam. Ample free parking is available right next to the day spa complex.
Driving times to Les Bains de la Gruyére are around an hour from either Lausanne or Bern and 90 minutes from the city of Geneva.
The mineral baths can also be reached by public transportation. Bus stop Charmey-Corbettaz is a few minutes walk from the spa. The bus from here takes around 15 minutes to Broc station and just less than half an hour to Bulle train station, from where railway options are available to all parts of Switzerland.
A few times per day a bus also goes directly from Chamey to Fribourg station in 45 minutes. Traveling time by train and bus is around 90 minutes from Lausanne or Vevey and two hours from Bern and Geneva.
A visit to the spa baths of Gruyère in Charmey combines very well with other sights in the region when on a day trip from Lake Geneva or Bern. The Maison Cailler chocolate factory in Broc is just a few minutes drive away. Gruyères with its magnificent castle and old town and the Gruyere cheese factory are also close by.
- See also Top Hot Water Spring Resorts and Spas for other day spas and thermal bath resorts in the Lake Geneva region.
Best Hot Water Spring Resort and Spas in the Lake Geneva Region
- The Best Hot Mineral Water Thermal Baths near Lake Geneva — mostly in Switzerland but also some in France
- Leukerbad — the best weekend getaway in the Alps. Fantastic thermal baths and many good hotel options.
- Les Bains de Lavey – Hottest Mineral Waters in Switzerland
- Aquaparc – Water Fun Park with Slides on Lake Geneva near Montreux
- Les Bains de la Gruyère in Fribourg – near medieval Gruyères and the Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory.
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