Thermal baths · Pré-Saint-Didier · Italy
An afternoon at the Pré-Saint-Didier thermal baths
open air pools fed by water at 37 degrees, facing Mont Blanc, in the 1838 bath house
The bath house dates from 1838, at the far end of the village of Pré-Saint-Didier, extended with contemporary volumes and run by QC Terme. The water comes out of the mountain at 37 degrees, rich in iron and silicon, and fills the open air pools too, which stay open through the winter with snow all around. The circuit alternates outdoor pools, whirlpools, sauna, Kneipp walk and salt rooms, and doing all of it takes three or four hours at least. Under fourteen you are not let in.
Getting there
- From La Thuile you leave the motorhome at the Grand Assaly area and take the bus: the stop is in the centre of the village, near Piazzale Planibel
- The La Thuile to Courmayeur service calls at Pré-Saint-Didier Centro and runs in winter only: out of season you need another way in
- From the stop to the bath house it is about 300 metres on foot through the village, following the QC Terme signs
Practical information
Duration three or four hours at least for the thermal circuit alone, five or six with a treatment added
Suitable for adults; no entry for under 14s or for pregnant women
Booking worth booking online a few days ahead, above all at weekends, over Christmas and in February
Contacts
Where it is
Pré-Saint-Didier · Valle d'Aosta
You set off from
Notes
- Open every day: Monday to Thursday and Sunday 9:00-22:00, Friday 9:00-23:00, Saturday 8:00-23:00; hours may change over public holidays
- The ticket varies with the day and the time slot, and is to be checked on the official site; packages with massages and rituals are paid separately
- Swimming costume compulsory; bathrobe, towel and slippers are handed out at the entrance
- A clear bag for the phone and a small bottle of water are useful, because between steam and heat you sweat a lot
- In winter the best time is the afternoon, with sunset over the outdoor pools; on Friday and Saturday you can stay until 23:00
- The bus from La Thuile is seasonal: it is given as free, line 573, from 26 December to 12 April, but line, fare and calendar are to be checked on the Arriva Italia site
- Between indoors and out the place counts more than forty thermal practices
- At La Thuile the other possible stopover is Camping Rutor
