One way to stay warm, but still enjoy the cold is by going to places with heated outdoor pools. Here are some places I recommend depending on where you are in the world or where you hope to find yourself to be.
Alpamare
Ludwigstrasse 14, Bad-Tolz, Germany (an easy day trip from Munich)
There is a lot of fun to be had here for adults and children alike. My husband and I went here as a day trip from Munich. We discovered this place through reading of my Lonely Planet guide. We took a train from Munich to Bad Tolz. We did get lost on the way because we discovered that Germany's trains do something I've never seen happen before. We boarded the train in Munich and we reached a certain station and it split apart and went on different tracks. Hozafa and I were sitting in the train and an announcement in German came over the loud speaker. I wasn't listening carefully and I don't speak German, but I did understand that if you are going to place x, y, z go to the front or a, b, c go to the back cars. Which places for which part of the train, I had no clue. We were seated in the back and decided to move to the front cars. The train then split, and as I watched us pass different stations, I realized we should have stayed where we were. Luckily, we managed to find our way back to the original station and eventually to Bad Tolz, but only after a brief scolding in German by the ticket checker who realized that we were ignorant looking tourists. Alpamare has three outdoor heated pools and one indoors. They were an absolutely relaxing way to spend my birthday. We swam, sat and enjoyed the massage jets. It even started to snow briefly, which was fine since the pools are at 32C/90F. If you have kids, there are water slides, indoor surfing and a wave pool. The price wasn't bad. It can range for adults from 20 euros to about 36 euros depending on what day you go and how long you want to stay and what you want to do. The town of Bad Tolz is also very charming. We strolled through a quaint Easter market in the middle of a pedestrian only street selling jams and pottery and the like.Scandinave Spa - Blue Mountain
152 Grey Rd, Blue Mountain, Ontario, Canada (An hour drive outside of Toronto)
This spa can make a great day trip. If you go mid-week you can have access to the Scandinave Baths for about $40-$50. There's a method to using the heated pools, cold pools, sauna, steam, relaxation rooms, solarium and outdoor fire places. It's a great way to spend a day out with your significant other, which is what I did or even a girls getaway. It's only about an hour drive from Toronto, which makes it a great day away from the city. There are also packages that you can get to stay the night in the Blue Mountain area. I would recommend going through the Blue Mountain Inn. The prices are pretty reasonable, and they also have outdoor hot tubs if you don't get enough at the spa. Collingwood is also a wonderful area to explore. The least busiest time to go would be in the spring and fall because Blue Mountain is a popular summer and winter getaway. Coincidentally, my husband brought me here for my birthday. Maybe this is going to be a trend?
