Unfortunately for us, Geneva, Switzerland is often cited as ranking within the top 5 most expensive cities to live globally. It’s hard to believe that we live somewhere which seems expensive versus even New York City!  The currency features a 1,000 CHF note and there are more designer cars and luxury boutiques than Rodeo Drive or Park Avenue.

In New York,  I often indulged in weekly manicures and monthly pedicures, often in the company of friends. It was the perfect way to relax and catch up with girlfriends. But, these days I only book manicures when I find discounts on BuyClub, our equivalent of Groupon.  The average manicure in town begins at 50 CHF while pedicure are often over 100 CHF! Imagine my excitement when my friend Kerrie invited me to a girl’s evening at the most inexpensive spa experience in town. She said the hour-long experience would cost just 20 CHF. After a rough few days, I was very ready for some rest and relaxation with a girlfriend.

We met at Bains des Paquis, a popular swimming and dining spot on Lake Geneva at 6:30. In addition to a restaurant and swimming area, they also feature saunas, hammams and massage rooms. Once entering the office area, the staff welcomed us to Ladies Night, the one night per week when the hammam and sauna area is female only.  In case you’re not familiar with the term hammam, it is a steam room, similar to a Turkish bath where people go to cleanse themselves on a weekly basis.

She explained that the 20CHF included admission to the saunas, Turkish bath, hammam and lounge area overlooking the lake. For an additional 1 CHF we could buy honey, mint body soap scrub to use while exfoliating our bodies with loofahs. She also walked us through the steps of a proper hammam experience, as explained by these hilarious signs.

After getting locker keys and treating ourselves to orange and mint water, we headed towards the lockers to change into our bathing suits. While some people choose to enjoy the experience in the nude, Kerrie and I both opted for bikinis.

During our hour inside, around 50% of the women were nude while 25% or so were topless and the other 25% were wearing bathing suits. There were all shapes and sizes in the judgment free zone.

As you can imagine, I left my phone in the changing room, heading towards the hammam first. We hung our towels on a hook oustide the door, only carrying our loofah and soap in with us. Once inside we were engulfed in a delightfully warm, cloud of humdity. After relaxing for 10 minutes on the warm tile seats, we covered our bodies in the soap.

We didn’t immediately rinse it off, instead letting it soak into our skin. After a few minutes we scrubbed our bodies with the loofa, focusing on our feet, knees, elbows and other rough, dry spots. After 15 minutes of gossip and laughter, we rinsed the soap off with cold and warm water. My skin appreciated the sloughing of dry, winter skin. It was GLOWING and the level of cleanliness I felt reminded me of our experience in the Istanbul hammams.

From the hammam we headed across the coridor to the saunas. There are two (80 and 95 degrees) different rooms, each overlooking the lake. We chose the 80 degree room as this one was empty versus the other. The evening views were beautiful and we relaxed for another 20 minutes on the warm wooden bench, melting further and further into a state of total relaxation. Luckily, in both rooms, the women surrounding us were talking with each other so Kerrie and I both felt comfortable talking with each other during the entire experience.

Last but not least, we went into the Turkish bath, which was narrow and humid. We only lasted in here a few minutes before we headed back out towards the lake. I opted to refresh with a final cold rinse under the outdoor shower while Kerrie opted for a freezing cold dunk in the lake.

We both decided that we’d love to make this a monthly Tuesday night event, next time indulging a bit more with a massage and some relaxation around the fire. The massages are cheaper than most in Geneva, only 50 CHF per hour. This combined with the hammam and bath experience would make for a wonderful two hour date with girlfriends after a long workday.

 

Your Turn: If you were going to a sauna or hammam like this, would you go fully nude, partially covered or wear your bathing suit?