Saunas and Aufguss in South Tyrol: where to go after golf

In a South Tyrolean sauna, at a certain hour, the door closes and no one else comes in. Inside, someone pours water and essences over the stones and, with a large towel, drives the hot air towards the guests seated on the benches. This is the Aufguss, a German word meaning “pouring over”: the central European ritual of the sauna “infusion”, which in South Tyrol is part of what upscale hotels offer, the kind of hotels where guests usually arrive with a golf bag as well.

What the Aufguss is, and how it works

The Aufguss is the practice of pouring water (often with essences) over red-hot stones to raise the humidity and so the sensation of heat. According to the Wikipedia entry, unlike the Nordic and Russian traditions, in which the bathers pour the water themselves, in German-speaking countries the pour is led by a Saunameister, an employee of the facility or a volunteer, who circulates the air with a towel. A session can last up to ten minutes and takes place on a schedule, usually posted on the sauna door.

From this comes the etiquette, which applies almost everywhere:

• Enter before it starts. Once the pour has begun, no one goes in, because opening the door lets the heat escape.
• Check the schedule. The programme of pours is posted on the door or in the hotel’s daily programme.
• Ask about the dress rules. In many South Tyrolean spas the sauna area is swimwear-free: the Preidlhof, for example, states this for the saunas and the rooftop spa, “except in the areas indicated”.

For health details, such as how long to stay in a sauna or who should avoid it, consult your own doctor.

Where to try it: six addresses, from the Passeier to Fiè

Andreus Golf & Spa Resort, Val Passiria

At the Andreus the wellness area covers 8,000 m², of which 2,500 are devoted to saunas; there are ten saunas in all. The DOME measures 85 m² and is five metres high; according to the hotel it is the largest “event sauna” in the Alps, and it hosts up to six Aufguss sessions a day led by a world champion of the discipline (as the hotel puts it). The Passeier.Meran is on the resort and can be played from March to December.

Preidlhof, Naturno

The Preidlhof is for adults aged 16 and over. The Sauna Tower, dating from 2013, has six floors with 18 saunas, steam baths and relaxation rooms, and is open from 11 am to 11 pm, with one evening a week of pours until 10 pm. From 17 to 24 October 2026, according to the hotel, the pours are entrusted to Sarah Niederkofler, two-time Italian champion of show Aufguss, and the Swiss Daniel Gufler. At the European Health & Spa Awards the hotel won best spa hotel in Europe in 2023 and 2024.

Hohenwart, Scena

Above Merano, the Hohenwart has a panoramic sauna with daily steam pours beside the panoramic infinity pool of salt water, at 34 °C. In all there are seven saunas and three pools. Guests receive special conditions at Golf Club Lana, of which the Mair family are founding members, and 20% off at the other South Tyrolean courses.

Castel Fragsburg, Merano

Less show, more contemplation: Castel Fragsburg has a Finnish sauna of up to 100 °C, an herbal bio sauna, a Turkish bath and an infrared sauna, with views of the Texel Group Nature Park. The Passeier and Lana are, according to the hotel, half an hour away by car.

Hotel Turm, Fiè allo Sciliar

The Romantik Hotel Turm has four saunas, including a panoramic one overlooking the Sciliar, and a salt grotto carved into the rock with floating loungers. The house treatment is the Fiè hay bath, a local tradition codified in the early twentieth century by the physician Josef Clara, with hay from the family’s alpine pasture on the Alpe di Siusi. The Golf St. Vigil Seis is five minutes away, according to the hotel.

Parkhotel Marlena and Quellenhof See Lodge

The Parkhotel Marlena, for adults aged 14 and over, has 1,000 m² of wellness and seven kinds of sauna, including two panoramic lounge saunas; the Golf Club Lana was founded and is run, according to the hotel, by the family that owns the hotel. At the Quellenhof See Lodge, for guests aged 14 and over, there are three saunas, including a 35-seat Finnish one where themed pours are held, beside the swimmable lake of 4,500 m².

Aufguss and golf: how to fit them together

The practical advice is the same as in any spa: play first, sauna after. But pour times are fixed, so it pays to look at the day’s programme before booking the tee time: if the pour that interests you is at 5 pm, a round finishing at 4:30 pm works; one finishing at 6 pm does not. The Passeier.Meran, for example, can be played from March to December; every course and every hotel has its own calendar.