Therme Erding Part 2

I went back to Therme Erding in order to see the parts I had not seen in my previous trip, and I understand the layout of the facility a bit better now.

It turns out there really are three different areas:

• Child-focused Waterworld
• All ages clothed pools, spas, saunas
• Adults only unclothed pools, spas, saunas

I did not spend any time in the Waterworld area, as it really was more of a children's and family play area. It did have the typical huge slides, etc., and was an impressive enough facility in and of itself

The clothed spa area is also a family area, with everything from toddlers up through retirees. It houses multiple bars, restaurants, pools, soaking tubs, mineral springs, and the like. The entire area is covered with a roof, so even in inclement weather it would be a very pleasant visit. This area was very crowded and had a family feel to it: Children running about, noisy, cramped, more on the hectic side of the continuum rather than peaceful.

The unclothed sauna area I mentioned a few entries ago is the largest of the three, and it includes an area with a retractable roof as well as a fixed roof and outdoor areas. Of the three sections, this is by far the most luxurious, with a very classy, regal, peaceful feel to it. Though there were a number of people there, it was not nearly as crowded as last Monday, nor was it as crowded as the clothed area with children running about. (BTW, I did finally see the sign detailing the admission policy for the unclothed areas: 16 years and up.)

A unique point for the entire facility is that upon checkin each guest is issued a wristband with an embedded RFID chip. This is used to charge food and beverage purchases while in the park, as well as to control passage between the clothed and unclothed areass.

My belief from the other day remains unchanged: The unclothed area really had a casual, comfortable feel to it, not at all anything sexual or seedy. Ironically, from a sexual titallation angle, the clothed family area actually felt more "erotic" as there was some mystery, some mystique, to "what's underneath." In many cases, as I alternated between the two sections, I would see a woman in both the clothed and unclothed state, and the bikini-clad case was inevitably the more erotic of the two; simply put, once you take the swimsuit off and the mystery is gone, so is the titallation. Let's face it, we all tend to want what is just out of reach, so if a man sees a woman in a short skirt or a low-cut blouse, he's instinctively going to try to sneak a peek, hoping to see a bit more than he thinks he is supposed to see. Take her completely out of that skirt or blouse, however, and all the mystery is gone. The man quickly realizes there's nothing really new to be seen.

I seldom am at a total loss for words, but there really is no way to adequately explain Therme Erding. The waterworld area, yes, it can be likened to many of the summer water parks we have in the US. The clothed area is a bit more difficult to equate to anything in the US: Yes, we do have facilities with all of the same basic amenities, but the size, the scope and design of the facility cannot be expressed in words. Finally, the sheer size, comfort and understated elegance of the adults-only section is literaly unlike anything I have ever seen or felt in the US.