WHILE destinations across Europe are known for their beer bathing pastime, the Belgium capital is actually home to ‘the original Belgian spa’.
Bath and Barley Brussels is a spa where beer lovers can soak in a tub of the hoppy liquid while sipping on a glass of the stuff too.
Bath and Barley Brussels is a spa where beer lovers can soak in a tub of the hopsy liquid while sipping on a pint[/caption]
Tubs are filled to suit each bather with guests able to pull pints from the tap next to them[/caption]
On its website, the spa claims to be ‘the original Belgian Beer Spa’ with a description reading: “Bath and Barley is the Belgian beer spa.
“We immerse you in all that is great and good about beer, literally and figuratively.”
Found near the world-famous Grote Markt, in the heart of Brussels‘ historical centre, Bath and Barley is inside a renovated centuries-old building.
Visitors are then taken to a private spa room where they can personalise the hops mixture to their own preference, with an hour long soak in the 39C beer bath.
Anyone who gets too hot can cool themselves down by pulling a pint of fresh draft beer from a tap next to the wooden bath.
Each spa room also comes equipped with a straw bed that’s topped with a linen sheet where guests can unwind after their soak.
For an additional price, guests can also use the hop sauna, which is set to 70C.
Luckily, sauna-goers can cool themselves off using a bucket of cold water.
The unique experience has a five star rating on TripAdvisor.
It has been praised by visitors, with one person writing: “Absolutely our favorite part of our visit to Brussels.
“It was relaxing, unique and perfect escape from the cold weather outside.”
Another added: “A wonderfully relaxing experience. The tubs are huge and the beer is great.”
A third person commented: “This is the spa I did not know I needed”.
Brit holidaymakers can reach Brussels on Eurostar trains from London St Pancras International, with fares from £39 each way.
Brits who are departing Brussels for Bruges will be relieved to know Bath and Barley have a spot there too.
Bath and Barley Bruges is located just a stone’s throw from Market Square and offers the same experience as the Brussels version.
Sun Online Travel have found beer experiences from €139 (£115) based on two people sharing a private room.
Opening times differ depending on the day, with each spa open during the afternoons.
Luckily, Brits don’t need to venture to Belgium to soak in a tub of beer, as the Norfolk Mead Hotel, near Norwich, opened its own beer-bathing experience last year.
Sun-approved spa getaways
Sun Online’s writers recently revealed some of the spa getaways that they have enjoyed across the country.
Cheshire
Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley found some R&R in the north-west with her husband and kids at the Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire. All overnight guests can use the indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi in the hotel itself, and take a walk through the on-site vineyard. The spa has a salt steam room, a tepidarium, a Finnish sauna, and some vitality pools, among other treatments on offer.
Gloucestershire
Senior Video Producer Rachael Clarke and boyfriend Stuart visited The Greenway Hotel & Spa – a countryside bolt-hole near Cheltenham. The 16th-century Elizabethan manor is set in eight acres of countryside, providing the perfect environment to relax in. Guests can chill in its indoor thermal pool or outdoor hot tub, or hop between the sauna, sanarium, and steam room.
Bristol
The Aztec Hotel & Spa in Bristol was where Editor in Chief Sinead McIntyre took her husband and two kids for a relaxing break. Inside the hotel are elegant interconnecting rooms for families, power showers, and Caudalíe toiletries. The on-site spa provides a welcome escape and place to unwind. Meanwhile, here are some more of the best British spa breaks. And these wellness breaks could be the perfect way to unwind.
Here’s the art deco spa that’s ‘London’s oldest’ with Turkish baths, indoor pool and affordable day passes.
And these are the cheap spa breaks to book in 2025.
Sun Online Travel have found spa experiences from £115 base on two people sharing a room[/caption]
Guests can also book to use the hop sauna, which is heated to 70C[/caption]
Brits can reach Brussels on a direct train from London St Pancras International[/caption]
