Ahhh, now this is what it's all about!…read more After a day freezing your tush off on the slopes there is nothing quite like a few hours spent flapping and floating around some super warm bubbly water. Here everyone gets a plush bathrobe, towel and flip flips with their entrance fee (14E for adults and 8E for kids) for two hours of water heaven. While there are some treatment areas throughout the multi-level complex the main reason to go is for the "espace ludique." There you'll find a large super warm pool with overhead showers, underwater loungy areas to stretch out and soak, a bubbly fountain, hamman and sauna. But the jewel in the crown is the semi-secluded jacuzzi located under a dome with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains. It's usually packed, but even so, it's heavenly.

We're talking geothermal sulphur baths here. All you need in twenty bucks and your bathing suit -…read more they supply the towels as part of the deal, and plastic flip-flops for 1.5 eur. You have a bunch of choices: If you choose "basin", you find yourself in a large thermal bath with other people; if you choose "bain", you have 15 minutes of thermal bath in a completely private tub, and during those 15 minutes there is a program of jets that do a lovely massage. That's what I chose, and it was well worth the 17.50 eur (flip-flops included). While you bathe, your clothes and valuables are in a locked cabinet, the key is on your wrist, and the attendants are very helpful and cheerful people. Besides the basic basin and bain (oh, there's also bain-for-two with side-by-side tubs !), there are numerous actual therapeutic thermal treatments for people with specific medical needs such as rheumatologic, orthopedic (trauma etc.), fibromyalgic, etc.... and these can run up to a hefty charge, may require several days, and certainly require a note from your physician. Anybody who's ever had orthopedic surgery followed by physiotherapy including a warm bath will appreciate what the thermal baths in Bareges can do to help the cure.

Great and friendly spa. Note tho, that no toddlers are allowed, only older kids who can manage in…read morethe pool. The Turkish bath and two Finnish saunas upstairs are nice too.

It's hard not to love a thermal spa, but having been to several others in the area I can say with…read moreconfidence that this one is mediocre for the thermal-saturated region. Especially considering how impressive and majestic the building is from the outside and how gorgeous the inside lounge area is with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains. I'm sure the medical treatments offered do what they're supposed to but having only been for pampering I can only comment on the superficial stuff like the soaking, steaming and massaging, all three of those things have been nice, but unremarkable. The price for access to the pool, jacuzzi and hamman area is 18E per adult and 10E for children aged 4-10 for 2hours, which is a bit steep considering how packed the place gets during peak season and how basic the offerings are. The pool is small and not that warm with a small bubbles area, two jets streams and an overhead shower. The two jacuzzis can hold only 4 people, and those same 4 people never seem to leave them. What was actually quite nice was the chill-out wading pool that was at the perfect temperature and filled with romanesque marble seating around the inside. The changing rooms don't have lockers so you have to pile everything onto one of their hangers to check. I hate to bitch, but they could really stand to do some renovations and spruce the place up a bit. That said, the people at the entrance and working the changing rooms are lovely.