Free hot springs in northern Italy

Abano, Montegrotto, Salsomaggiore, Bormio, Pré-Saint-Didier: northern Italy is full of famous spa towns, but they're almost always spas with an entry ticket. Hot springs where you can bathe freely and for free are very rare, because the water has been channelled into spa buildings for centuries.

There are a few exceptions, though, and they're worth the trip: a pool in the woods above Bormio, sulphurous water flowing into Lake Garda at Sirmione, two granite tubs on the Swiss border, a few pools opposite the Vinadio spa and a salty spring on the Trebbia river at Bobbio. You'll find them all below, from north to south.

What to expect

The free hot springs of the north are very different from those of Tuscany or Lazio. They're small, often reachable only on foot, and in several cases the water is lukewarm rather than hot:

• Pozza di Leonardo (Bormio): the hottest, at 38-41 °C, in an inlet on the stream. The last stretch of path is steep with no railings, and closing it because of litter has been discussed in the past: check before you go.
• Sirmione: sulphurous water from the Boiola spring mixes with the lake near the Lido delle Bionde. It's warm but not hot, and the temperature changes with the seasons.
• Bagni di Craveggia: two granite tubs at about 28 °C that you fill by opening a tap. You get there with a 40-minute walk from Spruga, in Switzerland, from April to November.
• Bagni di Vinadio pools: small tubs fed by sulphur springs opposite the spa, which is now closed. Information is scarce: we've marked them as to be checked.
• Rio Foino (Bobbio): a public spring of salt-iodine water at about 20 °C, with a small free basin on the bank of the Trebbia. More a refreshing summer dip than a hot soak.

The right time

In the mountains the season matters: Craveggia is open from April to November, and Vinadio and Bormio can be hard to reach with snow and ice. For Sirmione and Bobbio, the best time is the warm season, avoiding August weekends.

If you want a really hot soak and don't mind a few hours' drive, the closest free hot springs to the north with water above 37 °C are in Tuscany: read our guide to free hot springs in Tuscany.