When the autumn wind sweeps over the dike, the Sole-Therme in Otterndorf is the obvious plan B: six pools with salt water, one of them outdoors, plus six saunas and a sauna garden overlooking the Medem. From Nordseezimmer it is around 700 metres away – about a ten-minute walk.
Here you will find out what to expect in the pool area and the sauna area, why the pools often only open in the afternoon on weekdays, what a visit costs and when the late-night sauna is worth it. All times and prices are as of October 2026.
At a glance
| What it is | Pool complex with brine (salt water) in all six pools (one of them outdoors) plus a sauna area with six saunas |
| Water | salt content 0.5 to 1 %, 25 to 32 °C depending on the pool |
| Pool area | outside school holidays mostly from 2 pm on weekdays, from 10 am on Saturdays, from 8 am on Sundays |
| Sauna area | Mon–Sat 11 am–10 pm, Sundays and public holidays 11 am–8 pm |
| Admission (adults) | pools from €6.00 (1 hour), sauna from €15.50 (up to 2.5 hours, Mon–Thu) – as of October 2026 |
| Address | Goethestraße 12, 21762 Otterndorf |
| From Nordseezimmer | around 700 m, roughly a 10-minute walk |
| More info | Sole-Therme (town of Otterndorf, in German) |
What "Sole" means in Otterndorf
"Sole" is the German word for brine – salty water. At the Sole-Therme it is in all six pools, with a salt content between 0.5 and 1 per cent. In the two warmest areas, the leisure pool and the toddler area, it is 1 per cent; in the other pools it is 0.5 per cent.
The water is still chlorinated. Thanks to the brine, though, it contains less free chlorine than conventional pools, and many people find that more pleasant. If you want to get into warm water after a windy day on the beach, this is warm salt water – without waves and without a tide table.
Depending on the pool, the water temperature is between 25 and 32 degrees.
The pool area: six pools from 25 to 32 degrees
The six pools cover quite different needs:
- Swimmers' pool (28 °C): four 25-metre lanes, up to 3.40 m deep, with 1 m and 3 m diving boards. At set times there is a separated "FAST lane" for fast swimmers, for example on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4.45 to 6 pm.
- Course pool (30 °C): 1.30 to 1.35 m deep, used for the aqua fitness classes.
- Non-swimmers' pool (28 °C): 0.80 to 1.20 m deep, with mats and rings to play with.
- Leisure pool (32 °C): current channel, massage jets, gush shower and underwater loungers with bubbles.
- Toddler area (32 °C): separate, with a slide, water features and its own toilet area with a wash tub for babies.
- Outdoor pool (25 °C): 1.30 m deep, with bubble loungers.
Important for families: all non-swimmers, babies included, must wear a swimming aid, such as armbands or a swimming vest. Between the swimmers' pool and the leisure pool there is a rest area with loungers, tables and chairs where you can also eat food you brought along. Restaurant Nemo has its own counter there for chips, burgers and ice cream.
Opening hours: why the pools often only open at 2 pm
One stumbling block for holidaymakers: outside school holidays, the pool area usually only opens at 2 pm on weekdays. The reason: schools swim there in the mornings, and in the evenings the local sports club TSV Otterndorf and the DLRG lifesaving association train there.
The regular hours of the pool area:
| Day | Pool area (regular) |
|---|---|
| Monday | 2–7 pm (before that, 10.45 am–12.30 pm seniors' swimming) |
| Tuesday | 6–7.30 am and 2–9 pm |
| Wednesday | 2–5 pm |
| Thursday | 2–6 pm |
| Friday | 6–7.30 am and 2–9 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am–9 pm (before that, 9–10 am baby swimming) |
| Sunday / public holiday | 8 am–7 pm |
During the Lower Saxony autumn school holidays (12 to 24 October 2026) the pool area opens at 10 am Tuesday to Saturday and at 12.30 pm on Mondays; early swimming on Tuesdays and Fridays stays as usual. On Reformation Day (31 October) it is open from 8 am to 7 pm. The pools are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; on New Year's Eve they are open from 8 am to 3 pm.
Two details that are easy to miss: the ticket desk closes one hour before closing time, and swimming time ends 20 minutes before closing. Some pools are also reserved for other uses at certain times – the pool schedule on the pool area page (in German) shows when.
From Nordseezimmer it is around 700 metres to the Sole-Therme. Bookable from 1 night, no single-room supplement, visitor's tax included.
Check availabilityThe sauna area: six saunas, a view of the Medem
The sauna area is certified as "SaunaSelection" by the German Sauna Association (Deutscher Sauna-Bund). Six sweating rooms cover the whole range:
- Large outdoor sauna, free-standing in the sauna garden, 80 to 85 °C
- Tennensauna, the hottest, 85 to 95 °C
- Medem sauna, a Finnish sauna at around 85 °C with a view of the Medem
- Aroma sauna at 65 °C with scents that change daily
- Steam bath at around 50 °C and about 90 % humidity
- Stone bath at 40 to 50 °C, the mildest of the six – often found pleasant by people who do not tolerate high temperatures well
Infusions (Aufguss) start daily at 12 noon and then take place every hour in the large outdoor sauna or the Tennensauna – more than 60 a week in total. To cool down there is the sauna garden with a view of the Medem, the 16-kilometre river that flows through Otterndorf into the Elbe. The plunge pool is there too; in winter it is around 16 degrees. On top of that there are three rest areas and a bistro with a fireplace corner serving salads, baguettes and snacks. You can pay there at the end, after your shower.
Sauna hours: Mondays to Saturdays 11 am to 10 pm, Sundays and public holidays 11 am to 8 pm. Tuesday is usually women-only sauna day – except during the Lower Saxony autumn, Christmas and winter school holidays. Important around New Year: the sauna is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, and opens from 2 to 8 pm on New Year's Day.
Late-night sauna: second Saturday of the month, October to April
From October to April the sauna area stays open until 1 am on the second Saturday of each month. This season the series starts on 10 October 2026. Numbers are limited to 160 guests and there is no advance booking. If you are in Otterndorf on one of those Saturdays, it is best to plan an early visit.
What a visit costs
The prices for the pool area and the sauna area at a glance (price pages in German):
| Ticket | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Pools, 1 hour | €6.00 | €4.50 (6–17), €2.50 (under 6) |
| Pools, 2.5 hours | €7.50 | €4.50 / €2.50 |
| Pools, day ticket | €10.00 | €5.50 / €3.50 |
| Family (2 adults, 4 children) | €19.00 up to 2.5 hours, day ticket €25.00 | |
| Sauna Mon–Thu, up to 2.5 hours / day | €15.50 / €17.50 | €9.90 (6–18) |
| Sauna Fri–Sun, up to 2.5 hours / day | €17.50 / €19.50 | €9.90 (6–18) |
The sauna ticket already includes the pool area during its opening hours. Children and young people up to 16 may only use the sauna accompanied by a parent or guardian. A few ways to get in for less:
- Late swimming: Mondays to Saturdays, in the last 90 minutes before closing you pay the 1-hour rate.
- Sauna evening rate: Mondays to Thursdays from 7 pm, the price of the 2.5-hour ticket applies.
- Guest card: with a guest card from the Cuxland area you get a one-off discount of €0.50.
- Birthday: on your own birthday, admission is free.
You can hire a bathrobe, a sauna towel and a wool blanket (€3.50 and €2.50 each respectively). For the lockers you need a 1-euro coin.
Practical: getting there, parking, accessibility
The Sole-Therme is at Goethestraße 12. From Otterndorf station it is around 850 metres on foot, in case you arrive without a car – how that works is explained in Getting to Otterndorf. By car you will find more than 70 parking spaces, including three for people with disabilities and four EV charging points.
Accessibility is only partial: there is a ramp at the entrance and an accessible changing room with shower, but you can only get into the pools via steps.
Save the pool for a grey afternoon and the dike walk for the hour when the sun comes out – you will find the routes in Otterndorf's dike and nature. And pop the guest card from your room into your pocket: a guest card from the Cuxland area gets you a one-off 50-cent discount at the ticket desk – just ask whether yours counts.
Back to Nordseezimmer
Around 700 metres lie between Nordseezimmer on Catharinenweg and the Sole-Therme – after the sauna you simply walk back, without it turning into an expedition. You stay in Koje, maritime with a petrol-coloured feature wall, or in Koi in warm gold and cream tones, both with a private bathroom, a large 180×200 bed and free Wi-Fi. Thanks to self check-in via key box you can arrive around the clock. The visitor's tax is included in the price, and your guest card is waiting for you in the room.
Why the quieter months on the coast have their own appeal is explained in The North Sea in autumn.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Sole-Therme Otterndorf open?
Outside school holidays the pool area usually opens at 2 pm Monday to Friday, at 10 am on Saturdays and at 8 am on Sundays; on Tuesdays and Fridays there is also early swimming from 6 to 7.30 am. The sauna area is open Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm and on Sundays from 11 am to 8 pm. Different hours apply during school holidays and on public holidays (as of October 2026).
How much does admission to the Sole-Therme cost?
For adults the pool area costs €6.00 for one hour, €7.50 for 2.5 hours and €10.00 for the whole day. The sauna area costs €15.50 Monday to Thursday (up to 2.5 hours) and €17.50 Friday to Sunday; the pool area is then included (as of October 2026).
How salty is the water at the Sole-Therme?
Depending on the pool, the salt content is between 0.5 and 1 per cent. In the leisure pool and the toddler area it is 1 per cent, in the other pools 0.5 per cent. The water is also chlorinated, but thanks to the brine it contains less free chlorine than conventional pools.
When is the late-night sauna in Otterndorf?
From October to April on the second Saturday of every month, when the sauna area stays open until 1 am. In the 2026/27 season the first one is on 10 October 2026. There is no advance booking, and numbers are limited to 160 guests.
How far is the Sole-Therme from Nordseezimmer?
Around 700 metres. It takes about ten minutes on foot and around five minutes by bike.
Sole-Therme in the afternoon, back to your room in the evening
Bookable from 1 night, no single-room supplement, visitor's tax included. Two rooms in Otterndorf – Koje and Koi.
Check availability now View the rooms9.2 / 10 on Booking.com · Catharinenweg 4, 21762 Otterndorf