Durchatmen in den Heilbädern und Kurorten Baden-Württembergs

Soothing air as a remedy

The climate has always had a major influence on our well-being. Relaxation is best achieved in an environment with balanced temperatures and constant humidity. Recovery processes are also accelerated under the right climatic conditions. The so-called “healing climate”, including the pure air, is natural and free from harmful environmental influences. As the name suggests, it can have a healing effect on the body.

Indications: What can air help with?

Bronchial asthma, bronchitis
Allergic and chronic rhinitis
Paranasal sinus diseases
Allergies and skin diseases
Lung diseases and croupy cough

Forms of application

Hiking: Various climatic conditions can help to strengthen the immune system during a hike. In some regions, there are specially designated high-altitude climate trails. In addition to the impressive panorama and the shady forests, climate stimuli such as wind, sun and clean air have a supportive effect.
Climate therapy: Breathe fresh, clean, cool, filtered and mineralized air. Thanks to a physical phenomenon, the air in the tunnel is exchanged every 15 minutes.

Types of air

Gentle climate

The gentle climate in regions with low levels of irritation has great recreational potential: this climate is characterized by a balanced temperature and humidity. Baden-Württemberg, where a temperate climate prevails, is home to numerous climatic health resorts. Here, the climatic conditions are used for health therapy and disease prevention.

Stimulating climate

It is not only a gentle climate with high air purity and constant temperature that has a positive effect on body and mind. Unusual weather conditions also “train” the immune system. In the low and high mountains, people therefore rely on the vitalizing effects of the stimulating climate. The unaccustomed differences in altitude, strong winds and the sometimes strong temperature fluctuations have a stimulating effect on the body. The stimulating climate increases the activity of the immune system and strengthens the body's defenses in a natural way.

Healing cave

Healing cave therapy, also known as speleotherapy, is a special form of climate therapy. It makes use of the exceptional and pure climatic conditions below the earth's surface.

Air as a remedy and its predicates

Awards serve as a seal of quality in health tourism. In order to be awarded a label, certain standards must be met in the area of medical facilities and tourist infrastructure. The state's health resort law defines these requirements. The following awards in Baden-Württemberg are based on the particularly good climatic conditions in the respective locations:

Climatic health resorts

Natural, free from harmful environmental influences, constant temperature and humidity - these are all characteristics of a climatic health resort. The climate there can have a health-promoting effect and serve therapeutic purposes.

Places with healing caves

Disused mines or caves offer not only space but also excellent conditions for healing gallery therapy. The particularly pure air in its original form can alleviate asthmatic illnesses.

References

https://naturgesund-bw.de/wohltuende-luft

Terpenes - the secret ingredient of the forest

A visit to the forest means one thing in particular: taking a deep breath. Why do we actually find the forest air particularly refreshing? Researchers have found out: The pleasant feeling of calm that makes every visit to the forest so valuable for us is not purely subjective. Moss, ferns, conifers, flowers and many more of the plants there give off scents, so-called "terpenes", which have this beneficial effect on us. The absence of heavy traffic further enhances this beneficial effect of the air.

An individual recovery cocktail

It is fascinating how many different terpenes are found in the forest air. Measurements carried out in Bad Peterstal-Griesbach as part of the scientific investigation into the effect of the forest on well-being analyzed 51 trace gases, including 30 terpenes, in air samples from the forest air. The composition differs from forest to forest: in coniferous forests, for example, there is a higher concentration of terpenes compared to the air in mixed forests.

Which forest suits me best?

In one study, a mixed forest and a coniferous forest were examined with regard to their recreational effects. Psychophysiological measurements showed that the coniferous forest was particularly good at reducing the stress hormone cortisol, while the mixed forest had better effects on the cardiovascular system and the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Forest bathing

We can further support the effect of the terpenes by not simply rushing through the woods at a fast pace. “Forest bathing” is the magic word that stands for a conscious, quiet visit to the countryside. You can find out how best to do this, what's behind it and tips for forest bathing in Baden-Württemberg in our article "Forest bathing – mindfully through the forest".

Soak up terpenes in the Black Forest

The Black Forest is a source of relaxation on countless levels. It's not just the terpenes of the forest that can work their magic here: there are also the numerous healthy climate spa towns in the region. Among other things, the air there is particularly pure, free of allergens and air pollution. With a varied program of relaxation and activity, you can get the most out of your visit to the Black Forest with just a short trip!

Here is a small selection of places in the Black Forest with certified healing climate hiking trails:

Breathe, relax, heal: The Neubulach Healing Gallery

Neubulach, surrounded by the picturesque hills of the northern Black Forest, hides a little secret that captivates many: The Neubulach Healing Gallery - a place where history meets nature and a therapeutic masterpiece is created.

The magic of the tunnel

The microclimate in the Neubulach Healing Gallery is a real therapeutic miracle. With constantly cool temperatures between 6 and 8°C, fresh, mineral-enriched air flows through the gallery. This natural air flow ensures that the air is renewed every 15 minutes, with dust and allergen particles settling due to the high humidity. As this cool, moist air is inhaled and warmed in the body, water is drawn out of the airways, making breathing easier and activating the cilia in the bronchial tubes. The result? A strengthened immune system and optimal conditions for therapeutic success. A real insider tip from Neubulach!

Effect on body and mind

The therapeutic effect of the healing tunnel is impressive and scientifically proven. Here are some of the possible areas of application:

Burnout
Stress
Sleep disorder
Physical and mental exhaustion
Hay fever
Bronchial asthma
Chronic bronchitis
Pulmonary emphysema
COPD

"Pureness"

"Pureness" in the Healing Gallery is not just a word, it is a feeling. A place where the world stays outside and the focus is on the here and now. No noise, no distractions, no accessibility. Just pure, unadulterated nature. These quiet, mindful moments in the Heilstollen have a very positive effect on patients suffering from burnout, exhaustion and sleep problems.

Checklist for the Stollen visit:

Sleeping bag: bring your own or borrow one
Emergency spray (if necessary)
Water in a sealable bottle
Warm clothing and headgear
Possibly a book (no freshly printed newspapers)
NO hairspray, deodorant, perfume etc.
Do not smoke 1 hour before the session
Switch off cell phones or do not bring them with you

"Bronchitis and cough are gone" - testimonial from a teenager

"For the past five years, I have gone to the Neubulacher Stollen for therapy ten times in spring and ten times in fall. I'm doing well today without getting sick even once in winter (as is usually the case). That is very special for me. My bronchitis and cough are gone. After just two visits to the Stollen, I hardly noticed anything of my allergy to willow catkins. The Stollen did me a lot of good. It's comfortable in a sleeping bag. You can study and then I'm fit for school the next day."
Florian R., Stuttgart

Further information

You can find contraindications, registration and information about the spa stay in Neubulach here: Heilstollen Neubulach

Allergy break in a healing climate - breathe easy with less pollen

Constant sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes - just some of the annoying symptoms that plague pollen allergy sufferers from spring to fall. Almost one in five Germans suffers from a pollen allergy, and the number is constantly rising. Many allergy sufferers seek relaxation by the sea or in the high mountains during their vacation. However, Baden-Württemberg also offers excellent destinations for day or weekend trips to take a short "allergy break" - the healing climate is waiting for you!

Natural help against allergies

Healing climate health resorts are characterized by special features climatic conditions and high air quality - conditions that, when combined, are proven to promote health. Particularly interesting for pollen allergy sufferers: low air pollution, little fine dust, reduced pollen load and fewer allergens overall.

Tips for your excursion

The ideal travel time depends on your individual allergy and your specific destination - not all health resorts with healing climates are suitable for every allergy in every season. Before your visit, you should always get the latest pollen forecasts. Otherwise, nothing stands in the way of enjoying the fresh air! Relaxing activities like Forest bathing or breathing exercises can also support the recovery of your respiratory tract.

Allergy break in Baden-Württemberg

In Baden-Württemberg there is a total of over 20 climatic health resorts. The low mountain climate in the Black Forest is considered special for people with respiratory diseases.

Bad Dürrheim combines healing climatic conditions with the title of “sole spa”. The advantage for allergy sufferers: A visit to the graduation tower can also have a positive effect on the respiratory system! The salt-enriched air has an anti-inflammatory, cleansing and antibacterial effect.

Schönwald received the ECARF quality seal for allergy-friendliness several times. This not only refers to low-pollen air, but also particularly allergy-friendly products and services for people with house dust, animal hair and food allergies.

Healing climate against winter blues

Healing climatic health resorts are characterized by definition as being therapeutically effective - through a wide variety of climatic stimuli. We already have more details about this in our article on Heilklima explained. But how can it affect our psychological well-being?

Good mood booster light

The light intensity is more intense in a healing climate and therefore helps to increase the good mood level. As the intensity outdoors is usually above 2,500 lux (light intensity), the production of the sleep hormone melatonin is reduced. We feel fitter, more alert and significantly more vital. For example, the symptoms of seasonal mood swings - also known as the winter blues - can be alleviated just as well by a daily walk outdoors as by an hour of artificial light exposure every day.

Breathe deeply: breath by breath

Breathing freely and carefree: that is pure well-being. But how can you be sure that the air is actually particularly pure? You can tell by looking at the trees. This is where the so-called bearded lichen feels at home. They only grow in abundance where the air is really pure, e.g. in a state-approved climatic health resort.

The places with healing caves go one step further. The extraordinary climate in the tunnel is a retreat for people with respiratory problems or allergies. The special properties of the mine air: constantly cool (5 to 12 °C), high relative humidity and free of dust, germs, allergens, pollen and ozone.

Vitamins from the sun

An important factor for healthy bones, a fit immune system and a good mood is an adequate supply of vitamin D in the body. Precursors of vitamin D are formed in the skin by UVB radiation from the sun. In our latitudes, however, sufficient UVB radiation only reaches the earth in the months from May to October. It is therefore important to replenish the body's own depots in the summer months, as only ten to 20 percent of the required vitamin D can be absorbed through food. Depending on your skin type and the time of year, it is therefore recommended to expose yourself to the sun for ten to 25 minutes to boost vitamin D production.

Get out, exercise and enjoy nature and the healing climate with its positive health-promoting properties. This improves your mood, boosts your metabolism and increases your immune system.

In a nutshell: exercise + bathing in air = increased well-being.

Climatic health resorts

Healing climate - natural and free from harmful environmental influences - a healthy and intact climate. In a climatic health resort, fine dust and air pollution are foreign words.

Forest bathing - mindfulness in the countryside

Rustling trees, fragrant wood, singing birds, babbling brooks. Even the poets and thinkers of the Romantic period fled from the industrialized cities into the dense green of the fir trees to rediscover their lost unity with nature. In the meantime, science has discovered that the forest not only heals the soul, but also the body.

The most natural sedative in the world

In everyday life, we are often in stress mode. The permanent fight-or-flight mode costs us a lot of energy in the long term. The result: we become ill.

In nature, our mind comes to rest, the forest acts on our brain like a sedative. Spending time in the forest has been proven to lower our stress levels and blood pressure, lift our mood and can even have antidepressant effects. The low level of pollutants in the air also relieves our respiratory tract and skin.

Even our immune system benefits from time in the forest! Conifers emit messenger substances that have been proven to boost the immune system.

Tips for forest bathing

There is no "right" and "wrong" when forest bathing. Follow your senses and needs, let yourself drift, be yourself and be in the now. Whether you do all this sitting, standing, lying down, hugging trees or literally bathing in a lake in the forest - it doesn't matter! It's up to you.

Nevertheless, here are a few tips for letting go:

Use all your senses.
Don't set yourself a goal, just be present and let yourself drift.
Be curious, open-minded and let your inner child out.
Breathe deeply and consciously. What do you smell, what do you feel, what do you taste?
Slow down, walk particularly slowly and carefully. Maybe even barefoot?
Leave as much technology and distraction at home as possible.
Pack enough food and drink.

Forest bathing in Baden Württemberg

Almost 40% of Baden-Württemberg is covered by forest - there is certainly no shortage of opportunities for forest bathing here! The Black Forest in particular offers an endless number of beautiful spots to immerse yourself in.

The numerous spas and health resorts in the Black Forest are particularly suitable for a day trip for forest bathing. Even in comparison to the rest of the Black Forest, the air in climatic health resorts is particularly pure, low in allergens and free of harmful particles. The climate also enhances the positive effects of the forest on your body - it boosts your immune and cardiovascular system and can reduce stress.

Health resorts also often impress with real wellness highlights. Is there anything better than taking a dip in the water of the local thermal baths after bathing in the forest?

In theory, you can of course go forest bathing anywhere in the Black Forest. However, the following 3 spas and health resorts in the Black Forest deliberately invite you to do so. Here you will find forest bathing trails or guided forest bathing tours with coaches and forest therapists who will support you in your search for inner peace.

Healing climate - much more than just good air!

Don't misunderstand - good air is a core quality of climatic health resorts and often the number one reason for a visit! Little air pollution, little fine dust, little pollen and allergens in general. A paradise, especially for allergy sufferers and asthmatics. And although high air quality must always be a given, it is only one of many factors for the title of "climatic health resort".

What does "healing climate" mean?

To summarize: The climate in climatic health resorts can be used therapeutically. Here are a few of the climatic stimuli that play a role in certification:

Temperature
Air circulation
Solar radiation
Air purity
Air humidity

Stimulating climate and gentle climate

Many stimuli are not necessarily bad, as a distinction is made between a stimulating climate (many stimuli that stimulate the body) and a gentle climate (few stimuli that are gentle on the body).

Exercise in a stimulating climate, for example in the mountains, trains the cardiovascular and immune system. For example, due to fluctuating temperatures, winds, differences in altitude or high levels of sunlight. Gentle climates, on the other hand, are more for regeneration and recovery, perfect for respiratory problems, skin diseases or allergies.

Exercise: The be-all and end-all!

Nowadays, the majority of us spend the whole day sitting in the office or working from home, without any exercise or enough fresh air. As a result, our cardiovascular system atrophies, we become less resilient and more susceptible to illness and stress.

So what we need is exercise, preferably in the fresh air! What's good is what does you good and doesn't over or underchallenge you. Here are a few ideas depending on your training level, region and time of year.

Hiking
Cycling
Walking
Jogging
Yoga
Skiing
Snowshoeing
Cross-country skiing

Discover climatic health resorts

Once you've got your circulation going, you'll find plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind in Baden-Württemberg's climatic health resorts. From culinary insider tips, thermal baths, forests, lakes and parks to cultural highlights and vibrant city centers - spa towns have more to offer than you might think.

Take a deep breath - A day in Lenzkirch

In the high-altitude climate region of the Black Forest, you will find many designated vitality hiking trails on which you will be exposed to different climatic stimuli in a well-balanced way. There is a particularly beautiful one in Lenzkirch, near Lake Schluchsee.

The leisurely circular tour around the Stöckleberg takes about 1.5 hours and impresses with beautiful nature, great viewpoints and a Kneipp facility along the way. You can find more details about the tour and other high-altitude climate trails in the High Black Forest here.

Still not had enough of the fresh air in Lenzkirch? Then we recommend a trip to one of the largest and most spectacular adventure golf courses in Germany - AdventureGolf Lenzkirch! On warm days, the nearby Windgfällweiher pond is also ideal for relaxing or stand-up paddling. In summer, you can even hire boards at the lido.

Stöcklebergrunde © Hochschwarzwald Tourismus GmbH

Healing climate in Baden-Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is one of the federal states with the most certified climatic health resorts. There are around 20 of them here, from the Black Forest to the Allgäu and the Swabian Alb.

Here is a small but fine selection of places with certified healing climate hiking trails:

Cross-country skiing in Baden-Württemberg: Where the air is the cleanest

At the latest when the snow shines brighter than the sun, it's time for many Baden-Württemberg residents and visitors to hit the trails! Cross-country skiing is becoming increasingly popular, and not just here - and no wonder. Unlike many other winter sports, cross-country skiing allows you to really soak up, enjoy and discover nature in peace. Spending time in the fresh air helps you to simply take a deep breath and leave everyday life behind. Baden-Württemberg offers perfect conditions for this: beautiful landscapes, great snow conditions and interesting excursion destinations.

Cross-country skiing in a healing climate - take a deep breath!

There are numerous cross-country skiing routes in the Black Forest, the Swabian Alb and the Allgäu, which are also suitable for newcomers to winter sports. Most of Baden-Württemberg's 20 or so climatic health resorts are also located here. The air in these places is particularly clean and the organic climate can even be used therapeutically. So if every breath promises relaxation, doesn't it make sense to come here for a break in the fresh air? Those who are in the mood for self-care and wellness after winter sports will also find the perfect afternoon program in many climatic health resorts: thermal baths.

Winter days in St. Blasien

If you are looking for a place with the perfect mix of activity, adventure and relaxation on a sunny but cold weekend, you will find it in St. Blasien in the Upper Black Forest. Before you start, it is advisable to get an overview of the local trails. Here or on the municipality's website you can choose a route that suits your level of training. When you arrive in St. Blasien, the route without your own equipment first leads to the rental at local sports shop, then straight to the cross-country ski trail - off we go!

After a few hours in the fresh air, all muscle groups have been worked and plenty of calories burned - time to stop off at one of St. Blasien's many restaurants. If you're in the mood for wellness afterwards, you only have to drive 10 minutes to reach the idyllically situated Radon Revital Bad. Here you can round off the rest of the day, treat yourself to a well-deserved massage and relax by the pool with a view of the Black Forest.

Loipe in St. Blasien © Hochschwarzwald Tourismus GmbH

Cross-country skiing in BW: 5 places with a healing climate

There are cross-country ski trails and beautiful winter landscapes in many of the health resorts in Baden-Württemberg, especially in the Black Forest. You can find an overview of all places with a healing climate here.

Nevertheless, we would like to give you a small but fine selection of places where you can spend a winter's day in the freshest air in Baden-Württemberg. No matter where you are, it's always just a short drive away.