Aquardens
the Sauna Village with its theatrical Aufguss rituals
Italy's largest thermal park, set between Verona and Lake Garda, where naturally mineral-rich water rises from a deep hot spring through a sprawling landscape of pools, lagoons, caves, and waterfalls. Beyond the open-air baths there are saunas, Turkish baths, salt rooms, and a full menu of massages and wellness treatments, making it a relaxing day out in any season.
In Santa Lucia, Pescantina, Milan. Easy to fold into a morning or a longer afternoon; there's usually something else worth a stop within a few minutes' walk.
Aquardens is Italy's largest thermal spa, a 60,000 sqm complex in the Valpolicella hills at Santa Lucia / Pescantina, between Verona and Lake Garda — note the curator's 'Milan' location appears incorrect; the place is in the province of Verona, not Milan. Facilities include saltwater lagoons, grottos, waterfalls, river channels, a Kneipp foot path, and an extensive Sauna Village (Celtic, Contemporary, Banya Russa, Siberian Water Room) with a swim-up bar and hillside terraces. It is renowned for theatrical 'Aufguss' sauna rituals and hosted the 2025 Aufguss World Championships, with the world's largest 300-seat sauna under construction. Reviews praise the clean, varied-temperature pools and tranquil sauna areas, while noting weekend overcrowding and slow food service at peak times. Massage and personalized treatments are available in naturally-lit rooms; detailed dining/dietary information was not found.