You’re not content with the run-of-the-mill. New and exciting always trumps boring and dependable. Sitting still is akin to torture, being cooped up at home may as well be solitary confinement. You’re constantly looking for a new challenge, something that pushes the boundaries.
Sound like you? Congratulations. You’re a bona fide thrill seeker. And as a thrill-seeker, you’re into different kinds of travel. If you’re looking to break out of the normal, this is the kind of stuff you want to do:
- Hiking. Awesome views that make you feel like you’re in a movie, and a physical challenge that will push you to your limits. Machu Picchu is a personal favorite, as it also includes some of the most stunning archaeological sites on the planet. Hiking also makes it super easy to stick to those pesky social distancing rules.
- Motorbike Tours. Forget sitting in a boring bus. Motorbike tours give you the chance to see the world with the breeze against your face and the full control of some serious machinery. The Ho Chi Minh Trail is epic, although not for the faint-hearted. But it’s a guaranteed adventure.
- Casino Trips. My guilty pleasure, where I like to think I look like James Bond, but Pee-Wee Herman is probably more accurate. Covid-19 has meant loads have been shut, but the leading Macao casinos are finally opening their doors once more. During this time I’ve been pleasantly surprised by online providers, but can’t wait to hit a real blackjack table again. Double down or nothing.
But even though these trips are high on the thrill factor, you’ve probably heard of them before. I’m going to open your eyes to a brand new way to get that excitement fix. Beer spas.
What Are Beer Spas Anyway?
When I first heard of the concept of a beer spa, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Surely it doesn’t mean to literally bathe in beer? But yes, that’s exactly what it means.
In 1997, a glorious German genius Susanne Taschner discovered that bathing in beer is incredibly satisfying. It relaxes the body. It’s pure goodness for the skin. And the mind gets an injection of the good stuff as well.
Bjórböðin Spa: Árskógssandur, Iceland
Iceland should be on your bucket list no matter what. Jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery, friendly folk, quaint fishing villages, and a very cool capital. But let’s keep the focus on what’s important: beer.
The Bjórböðin Spa in Árskógssandur offers hot tubs constructed from Kambala wood, ridiculous views, and delicious food. Oh, and the hot tubs are full of beer with extra hoppy goodness. And if you want to, you know, drink beer, every tub has beer taps so you can drink and soak at the same time.
Hop In The Spa: Oregon, USA
There’s every chance you’re an American, which is why I’m including the very first beer spa in the good old US of A. It may be a little easier to stick to local destinations, especially during Covid-19.
Guests enjoy their beer soaks in beautiful cedar tubs, and you can also choose your own background music as you relax in the hoppyness. Hop In The Spa also offers a Germanic angle; you can enjoy German beer and pretzels to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger.
Thermal Beer Spa: Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is an awesome destination when it comes to thermal bathing. It’s essentially the global capital for it. But the Hungarians haven’t stopped reinventing themselves, with the Thermal Beer Spa the city’s latest addition.
The Thermal Beer Spa is ideal for a romantic trip, with each wooden tub having space for two individuals. The proprietors have really nailed the experience, with a tranquil atmosphere and herbal scents relaxing the body and mind. Hungarian lager is also very much worth a taste!
And Some That Didn’t Quite Fit In…
I’ve given you my top three, but the truth is that there are more worth beer spas out there. Honorable mentions go to the Starkenberger castle, a real medieval castle turned brewery in Austria. The BrewDog beer hotel in the UK is the first of its kind, entirely dedicated to beer, and it naturally also offers beer hot tubs. And I also love the Misugi Resort in Kyoto, Japan, with its water being supplied by the Hinotani Onsen, a hot spring located on the resort itself.
In short, there’s plenty out there for us thrill-seekers to explore. Convinced? It’s your turn. Get started on booking your next (beery) adventure.
Strakenburger Brewery Castle – Tarrenz, Austria
Several renovated fermentation tanks in this former Austrian castle-turned-brewery allow you to bathe for hours in a mixture of warm water and beer. Or you could go to the 300-liter beer pool, which is the world’s first!
Calistoga Ranch – Napa Valley, California, USA
Many hotels in the US provide specialized beer soaks for the feet or hair, but Calistoga Ranch has a complete European-style Ale Immersion Bath. You can locate some wine to sip on because this is Nappa Valley.
Misugi Resort – Japan, Kyoto
Water from the on-site hot spring, Hinotani Onsen, is used in this magnificent resort and spa. Then, this is combined with craft beer, which, according to legend, has enzymes, carbonic acid, and living yeast that soften and cleanse the skin.
Original Beer Spa – Prague, Czech Republic
The biggest selling point of this spa in Prague is that visitors can soak in large oak tubs that are filled with the extracts used to brew Czech Krušovice beer. You may also sip a fresh beer while relaxing here.
Grand Relax Czech Beer Spa
It is one of Prague’s luxurious spa centers. Although they provide a variety of European and Asian massage packages, cosmetic procedures, and saunas, their on-site Czech Beer Spa is the place to go.
Czech Beer Spa is a very original beer spa treatment. Hops, yeast, and other natural substances are used in the ancient, distinctive therapy to produce a one-of-a-kind experience with several health advantages. Throughout the experience, guests at the Czech Beer Spa are given unlimited servings of their own Royal Czech Beer. Additionally, they provide beer oil massages, gourmet sausages, and other light snacks for you to eat while relaxing at the spa.
Beer Spa Bernard Prague
Bernard is a well-known family-run brewery established in the Czech Republic in 1991. If you like their famous unpasteurized, bitter beer, you will be glad to know that you may bathe in it as well.
Depending on how many people are in your group, each private room has several one- or two-person baths. Along with the beer, the heated water also contains components including malt, hops, and yeast. You may fill a pint glass with Bernard’s 10° light beer from a self-serve faucet in each tub (unlimited refills until the session ends). After your bath, you may unwind in the neighboring room, which has mattresses and heated blankets.
It is one of the most well-known beer spas in Prague, thus it’s advised to make your reservation at least a month in advance. Massage therapies after a bath are chargeable extras.
Beer Spas in Pilsen – Purkmistr Beer Spa
This belongs to the oldest brewery in Bohemia, the Purkmistr microbrewery. Pilsner extracts and other skin-softening and skin-healing substances will be used in the bath. You may also pour as many 12° Purkmistr beers as your stomach can bear from the tap that is just next to the bath. A wonderful beer oil massage is also included in your spa session.
You can also include several other therapies. Try a body wrap with beer peeling for 30 minutes. Malt is applied to the skin to feed it and eliminate dead skin cells from the body. A wide range of additional bath treatments is also available, some of which contain extracts of hop, peat, lavender, or even chocolate.
Beer Spa Olomouc
It is located in Olomouc, a wonderful city in the Czech Republic’s Moravia region. The fact that few visitors visit Olomouc is a great pity in and of itself. Visitors may enjoy the city’s stunning architecture, delectable Czech cuisine, and of course, native beer drinking and beer bathing.
Wooden tubs with a mixture of water and dark beer extracts are characteristic of the Beer Spa Olomouc. You will be given two free pints of 10° Vaek beers and have roughly 40 minutes to soak in the hot water. After your bath, unwind in the salt room while putting your feet up on the floor made of natural stone. The entire procedure takes around two hours, so you get a lot for your money.
Karlovy Vary Beer Spa
Karlovy Vary Beer Spa and the Original Beer Spa are both owned by the same company. As a result, similar amenities may be found, such as endless light or dark Czech Kruovice® beer on tap and whirlpool royal wood bathtubs. Additionally, you will have time to unwind on the wheat straw mattresses near the fireplace.
Karlovy Vary is well-known for being a significant spa city in Bohemia. Numerous health hotels, full-service spas, hot spring locations, and impressive architecture are available. But if you are solely thinking about beer, you can guarantee that this well-known riverfront city also has a beer spa on its list of must-see activities.
Original Beer Spa Prague
There are two sites of this well-known beer spa in Prague. A member of staff will lead you below to your exclusive brick cellar treatment room, which has 1,000-liter whirlpool royal wood baths. The water is infused with hops, malt, brewer’s yeast, and other natural compounds.
The Original Beer Spa serves handcrafted beer bread and light or dark Czech Kruovice® beer on tap. After taking a bath, you may unwind in front of the fireplace and on a bed of wheat straw in one corner of the room, giving your skin time to absorb all the extracts.
Tips For Visiting the Prague Beer Spa
Arrive early
As previously noted, there are taps in the lobby, so you can start drinking right away!
Wear Your Swimwear Under Your Clothes
Even though the period before and after your spa visit is laid back, they are tight about the 1-hour time frame actually in the room owing to popularity. To get the most out of your beer bath experience, you must perfect the skill of changing into and out of garments absurdly quickly.
Treat Yourself to The Prague Beer Spa Products
Imagine leaving the Prague beer spa smelling like the carpet of a Weatherspoon’s. Thus, could not think of anything worse than applying moisturizing lotion with a lager or pale ale smell. The items did not, however, smell like pints.