USP Built on natural salt-water springs, Bad Sulza has been a centre for health since the mid-1800s when it was realised the town’s salt miners suffered from less ailments and respiratory disorders because of the air they were breathing. The Toskana Therme opened in 1999 and the small, sleepy town is now besieged by up to 1,000 visitors a day to its medical spa (Klinikzentrum), wellness park and Liquid Sound – six swimming pools housed under glass domes – where bathers float effortlessly in body temperature salt water watching stunning light shows and listening to soothing music. It is a unique experience in relaxation combining state of the art technology with archaic rituals, reminding contemporary man of his relationship with nature. Centre Parcs doesn’t compare.

AMBIENCE Toskana Therme has put great effort into creating a mellow, but precise atmosphere for rest and relaxation. Everything is tailored so that doing nothing is the order of the day.

EXPERIENCE The 3-star hotel attached to Toskana Therme lacks character and would benefit from some homely touches. However, the welcoming and calming atmosphere of the spa compensates this with its 5-star facilities and treatments. Other therapies included a 25-minute Cleopatra Bath with four different oils and goat’s milk with honey; the Singing Bowl Massage where different resonating bowls are used to transfer frequency on to body parts helping to restore inner harmony and Ayurvedic packages and relaxation days. Bring your own slippers.

FOOD Deciding what to have for dinner at the Felix Restaurant isn’t easy. The à la carte menu has a helpful list of potentially allergic substances in each dish, such as MSG or artificial sweeteners. Or there’s a hot and cold buffet during the evening so you can abstain from foods you react badly to or choose your own calorific content. Organic and locally sourced products are used wherever possible and the choice is varied and delicious. Chicken wrapped in swirls of mashed potato, meat or vegetable soup options, cubes of trout covered in sesame seeds, signature German sausages and a huge salad cart with various coleslaws, cabbages and sprouts. Optional sauces served on the side because they say that the more sauce the Thuringians have the happier they are.

IN CROWD An unpretentious crowd who are there solely to enjoy the healing and relaxing powers of the water. Designer babes wearing body-flaunting bikinis will make no impact on this laid-back crowd. Age ranges from 8-80 and that’s all part of the harmony Toskana Therme strives for. People queue up to get into the Liquid Sound pools from 9am and many come religiously to the full moon concerts every month.

WALLET WATCH Liquid Sound: £8.00 for 2 hours. Open Sunday-Thursday 10am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-midnight. Opening hours are extended to 2am on full moon nights. Next full moon concert is 2nd May. Aqua-Wellness: £74.00 for 90 mins. Dr Hauschka Classic Treatment: £45.00 for 80 mins. Standard double room including breakfast and complimentary use of the Toskana Therme: £82.00

NEED TO KNOW Toskana Therme Bad Sulza, Wunderwaldstraße 2a, D-99518 Bad Sulza, Germany. +49 (0) 36 461 91080 www.toskanaworld.net. Ryanair flies to nearby Altenburg Airport (AOC).

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