Millions invested: Newly renovated health spa in Bad Schlema reopens for visitors

After millions have been invested, the newly renovated health spa in Bad Schlema in the Ore Mountains reopens to visitors. The renovation took three years. From this Tuesday (October 1), a renovated building complex with a new entrance, changing area and modern technology will be available, said Kathrin Bösecke-Spapens, managing director of the responsible spa company. The sauna area has been given a new relaxation house with a view over the spa gardens. There is also a multimedia brine world with a floating pool and a water salt content of six percent.

"We are probably the most modern health spa in Germany at the moment," said Bösecke-Spapens. Around 24 million euros have now been budgeted for its renovation. So far, 17 million euros have been spent, explained the managing director. Next summer, the third construction phase will continue without any major restrictions for visitors. 90 percent of the funding comes from the state of Saxony.

Special radon treatments

Up to 290,000 guests could use the health spa per year in future. "We are also continuing to promote our radon treatments as a unique selling point. Radon is used to treat various illnesses and pain conditions." The noble gas can be found in Bad Schlema in special therapy pools, for example.

The costs for the new health spa have risen over the course of the construction work. "In order to cope with the additional costs, individual construction phases were reduced and combined," explained Bösecke-Spapens. For example, renovations in the therapy area were cut back. "But we will not be increasing admission prices for the time being."

Many comparable spas in Saxony are faced with the question of how to finance urgently needed renovation work, said Helfried Böhme from the Saxon Spas Association. "Many were built in the 2000s and are now in need of renovation and face the challenge of coping with rising construction costs."

Other spas are also investing

Nevertheless, according to Böhme, there are plans in the Free State. The spa company in Wiesenbad (Erzgebirgskreis) wants to realize a similarly large investment in the rehabilitation clinic by 2025. And in the Warmbad spa in the Ore Mountains, the thermal baths are to be extended. Bad Lausick (Leipzig district) is also planning a Kneipp center.

"The spas need the investments for the private paying guests who use the health spa and sauna areas." The resorts have done well in recent years and, unlike pure leisure spas, have also been in the black. But the losses of the coronavirus period, during which most of the 14 spas in Saxony did not receive any special bridging aid despite ongoing costs, have left their mark. Böhme: "But fortunately, guest numbers in the first half of 2024 have almost returned to the level of the years before the pandemic."