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Therme Vals: Switzerland’s Most Unique Spa
For most New Zealanders, going to the hot pools means one of two things: either you’re digging a hole in the sand at the edge of the surf on Coromandel’s Hot Water Beach, or you’re taking the kids somewhere with waterslides, chipped ceramic tiles, a strong aroma of chlorine and a grubby chip kiosk on the water’s edge. When Susannah and William Clarke, both art aficionados, decided to take a Christmas trip to Switzerland, their dreams turned to basking in a far more elegant type of spa. Knowing their penchant for hot pools in cold places and structures of architectural significance, their son slipped them a DVD describing the exquisite Therme Vals. They were gripped by what they saw. Therme Vals was built over the ten years between architect Peter Zumthor being commissioned in 1986 and the opening in 1996. Within two years it had been listed as a protected building. The spa and hotel is owned by the people of Vals, a spectacular Alpine village with a long tradition in the spa business, given the Saint Peters natural thermal spring that surfaces there. When they commissioned the relatively unknown Peter, the brief was to create a place that captured the archaic concept of bathing within stone and mountains, while at the same time creating a space that was a uniquely sensual modern landmark. “It’s quite unlike any other spa I’ve ever been to,” says Susannah. “It’s atmospheric, not brightly lit, and so quiet. The only sounds are the different sounds of water in the different rooms – sometimes it’s booming, sometimes gurgling or trickling or sloshing.” The spa, built using over 60,000 stone slabs of Valzer quartzite, features five indoor pools of varying sizes, temperatures and fragrance, none bigger than an average lounge and one outdoor pool which is larger. Each pool has a different atmosphere. The Fire Pool at 42 degrees and lit with warm oranges and yellows, soothes and relaxes. The blue-lit Ice Bath is a refreshing 14 degrees. The Flower Pool exudes a delicate perfume and has flower petals floating through it. The Outdoor Pool is warm in winter and cool in summer. “The Outdoor Pool was my personal favourite. The combination of aromatic steam and snowy mountains was exceptional You approach it through a narrow water passageway which makes it quite ethereal. I love the contrast of cold air and hot water,” says Susannah. For her it was the high ceilings that were perhaps the most dramatic aspect of the architecture, creating a strange sense of scale that gives you the impression of there being hardly anyone there. The lighting is another dramatic feature of the spa. Therme Vals is built from what is effectively a series of different sized cubes cleverly slotted together. The slabs of roof are grassed over with alpine meadow meaning from above the spa is almost invisible. However between the slabs are narrow skylights filtering daylight down into the pool rooms below. This natural light combined with the subtle tinted artificial lighting directed up from underneath the pools adds to the ethereal environment. There is also an extensive range of complementary therapies on offer ranging from massages of every description, through hot stone therapy, Thalasso body wraps, facial treatments, manicures, pedicures, cellulite treatment, aromatherapy and ayurvedic treatments. The entire focus is on nurturing the body in a setting that entrances the mind. For Susannah, Therme Vals exceeded her already high expectations. “I expected it to be fabulous but quite stark. But it wasn’t. It was serenely soft and peaceful.” It wasn’t only the spa that impressed the Clarkes. The hotel accommodation was superb; a classic blend of simplicity and quality. The original 1960’s rooms have been recently refurbished by spa architect Zumthor and each has a mountain view, a CD player but pleasingly no television. Most of the rooms are connected to the spa via an enclosed corridor meaning that you can move easily from the hotel to the spa in the luxurious white robes provided to guests. Finally, the food is also in exquisitely good taste. Susannah describes a sumptuous selection of local breads and cheeses accompanied by a wonderful array of fruits, all served on tables dressed in crisp white linen. “It’s the best hotel breakfast in the entire world,” she says. “And lots of other people will back me up on that.” “I’d go back there like a shot. If only one could get there a little quicker.” www.therme-vals.ch 
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