Thermae Bath Spa
bathspa.co.uk
Bath's revived spa is due to open in March; in the meantime, you can admire the rooftop thermal pool, steam rooms and massage centre online. (Meditation sessions will be free.) Britain has other spas (britishspas.co.uk) but none so venerable as Bath's.
Thermal spas in Budapest
budapestinfo.hu/en/sights/swimmingpools.html
Budapest has more thermal springs than any other city in the world, and 24 spas and baths - most of which are described here. The four Danubius spa hotels (danubiusgroup.com) specialise in treating bone conditions. But they offer modern treatments, too, including oxygen and iontophoresis - the alarming practice of injecting electrically charged ions into the skin.
Turkish baths in Istanbul
frommers.com/destinations/istanbul/0350023107.html
Nerve-wracking though it can be, a Turkish bath is an extraordinary and thoroughly cleansing experience. Frommers reviews several, including the Çemberlitas (cemberlitashamami.com.tr) and the Cagaloglu (cagalogluhamami.com.tr). If Istanbul is too far, an aficionado has compiled a list of baths in Britain at victorianturkishbath.org.
Thalassotherapy in France
mer-et-sante.asso.fr
The term was coined in 1867 by a French doctor. Dieppe was the first town to offer seawater treatments; now there are dozens of centres on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts offering a cure for almost every complaint - cellulite, migraines, smoking, post-natal stress. Biarritz (biarritz-thalasso.com) is just one. For serious research, visit thalatel.com/welcome.asp?lang=en.
Saunas in Finland
sauna.fi
Private saunas are so common in Finland that there are few public ones left to visit. Hukianhovi (narva.sci.fi/hukia/hukiaeng.html), which is heated by a wood-burning stove, is an exception. Since most hotels have them, you can combine intensive sauna sessions with another activity. Finland-winter.com has suggestions, including skiing, reindeer safaris, and ice-fishing.
Springs in Tuscany
termedisaturnia.it/english/
The Saturnia springs, with three dedicated hotels, are among the oldest. The sulphurous waters of Montepulciano (termemontepulciano.it/eng/eindex.htm) - 'antiseptic, anti-catarrhal, anticonvulsant and antiallergic', apparently - are popular, too. Chianciano Terme (chiancianoterme.com) specialises in liver complaints.
The Dead Sea in Israel
goisrael.com/discoverisrael/spaswellbeing/
Float in the Dead Sea and smother yourself in black mud and sea algae.
The Blue Lagoon in Iceland
bluelagoon.is/english/
You can sit in the hot water (just over £7 per entry) or pre-arrange an in-water massage by email.
