Good to know
Sauna in Berlin: what visitors should know and where to go
When Berlin turns grey, many Berliners head to the sauna. For guests from abroad it is a small adventure, because German saunas have rules that surprise people elsewhere, above all: swimwear often stays outside. Here is what to know before you sit down, and three places that could hardly be more different.
Big and all year Vabali by the main station, from 27.50 euros for 2 hours
With music under water Liquidrom in Kreuzberg, from 22 euros for 90 minutes
Historic Stadtbad Neukölln from 1914, sauna closed until the end of October according to an August 2026 update
The classic
Vabali
Big, beautiful, Balinese-style and popular accordingly, and pricier at weekends.
Kieznah tip
Stadtbad Neukölln
Sweating in a 1914 bathhouse with columns and a dome, at public-bath prices, as soon as the sauna reopens.
The rules that surprise visitors
- No swimwear: Many German saunas are textile-free. At Vabali the operator explicitly asks guests to always go without swimwear. If that is not for you, read the rules of each place beforehand.
- Bathrobe in between: At Vabali, bathrobes are required outside the saunas and pools. Bathrobes, towels and slippers can be rented there for a fee.
- Phone in the locker: At Vabali, phones and anything that can take pictures stay in the locker.
- What is good manners everywhere: shower first, always sit or lie on a towel in the cabin, keep your voice down. These are not one venue's rules, but it is how Berliners do it.
01 Vabali · Moabit
about 14 minutes on foot from the main station
Directions in Google Maps · Official site
A Balinese-style spa at Seydlitzstraße 6, a few minutes from the main station. There are around ten saunas and steam rooms, four pools including a heated outdoor pool, relaxation rooms and a restaurant with Asian and Mediterranean food. It is open daily from 8 am to midnight, from 9 am between April and September. Prices according to the operator (as of October 2026), weekday and weekend: 2 hours 27.50 and 29.50 euros, 4 hours 36.50 and 39.50 euros, day ticket 51.50 and 56.50 euros. For: big, open all year and easy to reach, good for a whole rainy day. Against: not cheap, and if you do not like the textile-free rule, this is not your place. If you like, combine the day with a walk through Moabit; ideas are in Neighborhoods nobody has on their list yet.
02 Liquidrom · Kreuzberg
about 9 minutes on foot from Möckernbrücke U-Bahn station
Directions in Google Maps · More on berlin.de
Under the tent-like dome of the Tempodrom at Möckernstraße 10 lies a pool where you listen to music under water. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings there are Sound Sessions with electronic music. It is open daily from 9 am to midnight, until 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays, with last entry 90 minutes before closing. Prices according to the operator: 90 minutes 22 euros, 120 minutes 24.50 euros, 180 minutes 29.50 euros, and the sauna costs 2.50 euros extra. The swimwear rules are on the operator's website.
03 Stadtbad Neukölln · Neukölln
about 5 minutes on foot from Rathaus Neukölln U-Bahn station
Directions in Google Maps · Official site
A public bath from 1914 at Ganghoferstraße 3, with columns, mosaics and a dome, closer to an ancient bathhouse than a municipal pool. It has a sauna that has been closed repeatedly after renovation work: according to an August 2026 update it stays closed until 31 October 2026. Prices were last 20 euros for 3 hours and 23 euros for the day. Check with the Berliner Bäder-Betriebe before you go whether it is open. More on the bath in our 12 places off the path.
Good to know
A sauna is the classic plan B for a rainy day; more ideas for grey days are in Berlin in winter. If it is your first German sauna, pick a quiet weekday time. And if you have health concerns, ask your doctor first, which goes for any sauna.