Page 109 - Travel + Leisure India & South Asia (January 2020)
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coveted at this pool. I spend a few minutes
on one and swim back to the indoor pool,
where neck spray jets are being used by elderly
gentlemen to loosen their neck muscles.
The lifeguard stationed at the pool tells me
that the thermal water has a relaxing effect and
helps remove toxins from the body. It reduces
degeneration of the spine and improves
blood circulation and respiration. It is also
recommended for spondylitis and to treat
sports injuries.
The saunas are built on the first floor of
the facility. You have to be nude to enter, and
also carry a towel so your sweat doesn’t touch
the wooden seating. Towels are available on
hire as well. The crystal sauna, with a huge
crystal surrounded by hot stones in its centre, Thermalbad After my rejuvenating time at Aukammtal,
is the designated room to induce sweating. Aukammtal in it is time to indulge in the culinary delights
The mental relaxation sauna has a container Wiesbaden offers a of Wiesbaden. The city is fondly called ‘Nice
premium range of
that emits a pinewood aroma and—true to its health and of the North’ and the ‘Gate to the Rheingau’.
name—calms guests. wellness services. I start with Café Maldaner, which has been
The Finnish sauna, at almost 90° Celsius, is Kurhaus in in business since 1859 and is Germany’s first
like an express sweating room if you are short Wiesbaden hosts Viennese-style coffee house.
on time. It is recommended to step into a lower cultural events, There is a mannequin of an elderly lady
temperature sauna, followed by a cold water open-air concerts, enjoying champagne in the display window.
and ballet
shower, before proceeding to one with a higher performances. The server tells me that it is a tribute to the late
temperature to get the maximum benefit. owner. He adds that in the private dining area
on the top floor, a mannequin of the lady and
her friend are placed. Known for promoting
the culture of freshly brewed coffee and cake,
Café Maldaner drum-roasts coffee beans every
week in small quantities. The decadent cakes
welcome you as you walk through its wooden
doors while its praline recipe dates back 150
years, a closely guarded secret. No amount of
probing on the recipe yields any results.
I am so caught up in the delicious goodies
that I almost miss the popular roastery called
FROM TOP: HACKENBERG-PHOTO-COLOGNE/ALAMY; DON MAMMOSER/ALAMY
Hepa coffee. It has been serving coffee for the
last 70 years. What makes its coffee beans special
are that they are not roasted on a hot iron plate.
Instead, they are air-brush roasted in a machine.
This ensures the beans do not touch any hot
metal and are evenly roasted. Later, the dermis,
which gives coffee a bad taste, is extracted so that
the resultant brew is strong and flavourful.
Two cups of Hepa’s refreshing coffee are
enough to get me to Kunder chocolates, which
has been making chocolates since 1898. Founded
by Fritz Kunder, after whom the brand is named,
it is run today by his great-grandson, Jurgen
Brand. This fourth-generation chocolatier
introduces a new flavour almost every month,
keeping the locals coming back for more. With
shelves and displays of tempting chocolates in
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