It’s that time of the year again when Brussels is cold, but not cold enough to snow, and somehow that’s worse because cold rain and wind are just that much more unpleasant. In this kind of gloomy weather, we all need a place to warm up, stay cozy and unwind from all the stress that’s been building up throughout the year.
The answer to all of these problems? A spa getaway, of course. And the best place in Brussels for that is Thermae. With two locations just outside the city, each with its own charm and easily reachable by public transport, Thermae is ready to welcome and protect visitors from the cold.
Both the Grimbergen and Boetfort location offer a large selection of saunas, thermal baths and a rich aufguss programme throughout the day – my favourite is a salt scrub in a steam sauna. With a simple entry, you have access to all of these, which is already enough to recharge you for the next year, but if you need a little extra, the offer is plentiful.
There are packages available throughout the year, combining carefully selected treatments to give you the best pampering experience. Besides those, Thermae also curates seasonal packages, catering to, for example, the need to stay warm in winter or cool off in summer.
To start off, if you just need to wind down after a long Christmas gift shopping spree, the winter evening package gives you access to the thermal baths after 5 pm, aufguss programme and includes a 25-minute Body Relax Massage, to take out all the tension of figuring out what presents to get. With over 26% discount compared to booking the entry and massage separately, the package comes in at €119 at Boetfort and €99 at Grimbergen for two people.
One step further is the winter relax, at Boetfort, or winter chill, at Grimbergen. It includes access to the baths and aufguss programme for an entire day, the body relax massage, as well as bathrobe, towels and slippers and another 25-minute massage, this one head and facial, to complete a full relaxation session.
Lastly, the winter glow at Boetfort includes access to the baths, aufguss programme, bathrobe, towels and slippers, and a 75-minute facial treatment with crystal massage. At Grimbergen, the winter revival gives the same access benefits, but instead of the crystal facial has a 25-minute foot and calf massage and a 50-minute facial treatment with a nourishing clay mask especially formulated for winter use.
To make it all even more convincing, until 31 December, for any €100 you spend on a gift voucher or treatment package you receive a free day pass for yourself, which includes access to all the public baths, saunas and aufguss treatments.
Thermae stays open throughout the entire holiday season, except 25 December. The location in Boetfort is even open on 1 January, from 12:00 pm, so you can have a quick post New Year’s Eve party nap and then ensure you start 2025 in the best possible way. Besides the first day of the year, both locations are open from 10:30 am to 11:00 pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 10:30 am to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Only on 24 and 31 December they close just a little earlier at 5:00 pm.
