Sauna in Bern: the Aare, a hammam and neighbourhood saunas

Bern: sauna with an Aare feeling

In Bern, a lot revolves around the Aare. In summer you drift through the city; in winter some people plunge into the icy river after the sauna. In between, the city has a varied sauna scene: a big sauna landscape at Westside, a hammam in a historic building, small neighbourhood saunas and wood-heated saunas by the water. All details come from the venues, as of November 2026; you will find current hours and prices on the detail pages.

Big and varied

Bernaqua at Westside

Bernaqua, in the Westside leisure centre designed by Daniel Libeskind, brings a leisure pool, spa and sauna landscape together under one roof. The sauna landscape is a nude area with a mixed zone and its own women’s area, around 13 Aufguss sessions a day and an Alpine Lounge by the fireplace. There is also a Roman-Irish bath, which you need to book. Admission from 16.

Fitnesspark Bern City

Right in the city centre, the Fitnesspark Bern City offers a sauna landscape with an Aufguss sauna, steam room and a women’s area. In winter there are ceremonies on four days a week.

Special rituals

Hammam in the Oktogon

Hammam Bern takes you on a circuit over four floors through the historic Oktogon: steam rooms, kese and soap-foam scrubs and finally a bath beneath a 13-metre-high dome. On the circuit you wear only the pestemal, and phones stay outside.

By the water

Saunaare: sauna trailers on the Aare

Saunaare rents out wood-fired sauna trailers for six to eight people, parked at various spots on the Aare, for example at Eichholz. During the booked time the trailer belongs to your group alone. You cool off in the Aare — at your own risk.

Moossee-Sauna

On the shore of the Moossee in Moosseedorf, the wood-heated yurt saunas of the Moossee-Sauna are set up from November to March: a bio sauna and a Finnish sauna, a rest yurt and the lake to cool off in.

Sauna tent in Meikirch

A little outside the city is the Natur-Sauna Meikirch, a birch-wood-fired sauna tent on a farm — exclusively for your own group; you cool off in the farm’s fountain.

Neighbourhood saunas

Weyermannshaus and Gäbelbach

The sauna at the Weyermannshaus indoor pool, with a sauna, steam room and cold-water pool, has women’s and men’s days; the indoor pool is included in the ticket. Winter 2026/27 will be its last, though: when construction of the new building starts, expected in April 2027, the city’s last municipal sauna will close, according to the city sports office. In western Bern you will find the small Gäbelbach neighbourhood sauna with a cold-water pool and women’s and men’s days — one of the cheapest saunas in the city.

Around Bern

The Fitnesspark Time-Out Ostermundigen has a brine pool with natural brine from Rheinfelden and four saunas; Wislepark Worb has around 450 square metres of wellness with a privately bookable hammam.

A trip to Lake Thun

If you are planning a day out, head to Lake Thun. BEATUS in Merligen has an outdoor sauna with a panoramic window onto the lake, cooling off in Lake Thun and an outdoor brine pool at 35 degrees. The sauna landscape is a mixed nude area for over-18s.

In summer: the Aare and Marzili

In summer the Aare belongs to the swimmers. Read how to do it safely in the article Swimming in the Aare. The start and finish are usually Eichholz and the Freibad Marzili. If you prefer a pool, the Schwimmhalle Neufeld is a large indoor pool.

Which sauna suits you?

Conclusion

Bern has something for every taste: the big sauna landscape, the hammam ritual and the small saunas by the water, where the Aare or the lake becomes the cooling pool. You will find all the saunas in the region in the Sauna overview.