Bagni di Lucca (Terme Bagno Bernabò)

What to expect

Bagni di Lucca is a spread-out spa town in the valley of the Lima river, a tributary of the Serchio, north of Lucca. Its warm springs, which range from about 97-129°F36 to 54°C, made it a fashionable resort in the 1800s. Napoleon’s sister Elisa Baciocchi, who ruled Lucca, kept her summer court here, and the town built a casino and a large ballroom. There were several bathhouses scattered between the villages of Ponte a Serraglio, Bagno alla Villa, Docce Basse and Bagni Caldi.

Today only one of them works. The Bagno Bernabò sits on the slope of the Colle di Corsena at Bagni Caldi and is, as local press put it in 2024, the only thermal establishment open in Bagni di Lucca. The larger Terme Jean Varraud next door, known for its natural steam grottoes, closed in 2021 and has not reopened.

So set your expectations. This is not a thermal pool you can float in for the afternoon. It is a small, historic treatment spa where you book a bath, a mud treatment, a session in the steam grotto or a massage, and staff take you through it.

The Bagno Bernabò

The bathhouse is named after Bernabò, a Florentine who, the story goes, cured a serious skin complaint in the first half of the 16th century after falling by chance into the hot mud here. Elisa Baciocchi had the present building put up in 1810, and it survives largely intact. A restoration finished in 2006.

The Bernabò spring flows out at 102.6°F39.2°C. It is a calcium, sulphate and bicarbonate water. The spa markets it for joint, muscle and rheumatic complaints; that is the operator’s claim, not ours.

What you can book:

• Thermal bath in a single marble tub. A soak of about 20 minutes, followed by rest on a couch wrapped in thermal blankets.
• Octagonal tub. A larger tub for couples or small groups, used in most of the couples’ packages.
• Steam grotto (grotta di vapore). A warm, humid room heated by the thermal water running through it.
• Mud therapy. The spa matures its mud in thermal water for 12 months before use. A mud treatment is usually followed by a bath.
• Kneipp hot and cold therapy, a facial shower, massages and beauty treatments.

Prices and booking

There is no day pass. Everything is sold as a treatment or a package, and you book a time.

Package (2026 website)	Price	Includes
Insieme	€100 for two	30-minute back massage, bath in the octagonal tub
Io e Te	€160 for two	Steam grotto, 50-minute relaxing massage, octagonal tub bath, herbal tea room
Per Noi	€180 for two	Steam grotto, 50-minute Swedish massage, octagonal tub bath, two Kneipp sessions
Remise en Forme Day	€100 per person	Salt scrub, 30-minute massage, facial drainage massage, bath in a single tub
Gambe Leggere, Pelle Giovane	€60 per person	Leg or facial treatment packages (mud, massage, Kneipp or facial shower)

Prices for a single bath or mud treatment were not listed online, so ask when you book. Thermal cures are also provided under an agreement with Italy’s national health service (SSN) for residents with a prescription.

How to book: phone +39 331 171 9014, email info@termebagnobernabo.it, or use the booking page on the spa’s website. The website gives two different sets of hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day in one place, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays in another), so confirm your slot rather than turning up.

What to bring: ask when you book what is provided (robes, towels, slippers) and whether you need a swimsuit for the grotto. The tubs are used privately, one person or one couple at a time.

The Jean Varraud baths and the future

The Terme Jean Varraud, also at Bagni Caldi, were the town’s main spa until they closed in 2021. In January 2024 the Comune said €1.2 million of safety work on the building had already been contracted. On July 24, 2026 the town council approved a project-financing proposal from Bagni di Lucca Srl, the company that runs the Bagno Bernabò, judging it in the public interest. The Province of Lucca then ran a public tender, opened in September 2026 with about 30 days for offers, so that other bidders could compete. Local press describes the Varraud as known for its natural steam grottoes. No reopening date or works timetable had been confirmed in October 2026, so for now it stays closed.

Getting there

Bagni di Lucca lies north of Lucca in the Media Valle del Serchio. Drive up the Serchio valley from Lucca towards Borgo a Mozzano, where the medieval Ponte della Maddalena crosses the river, then turn up the Lima valley to Ponte a Serraglio. Bagni Caldi is on the hillside above, along Via Bagni Caldi. Trains run from Lucca in about 25 minutes; from the station you will need a taxi or a lift to Bagni Caldi.

When to go

The spa is open all year. The steam grotto and hot tubs are most welcome in autumn and winter, when the valley is damp and cool. Summer is the busy season for visitors from abroad, so book ahead in July and August.

Where to stay nearby

There is no lodging at the Bagno Bernabò itself. Ponte a Serraglio and Bagno alla Villa, the old resort quarters below Bagni Caldi, have small hotels, guesthouses and holiday flats, many in 19th-century villas. Lucca, a short drive down the valley, has the widest choice. Barga and the Garfagnana valley further up the Serchio are other bases.

Safety notes

• Heat. A 20-minute soak at close to 102°F39°C, followed by the steam grotto, is a lot for some people. Drink water and tell staff if you feel faint.
• Medical conditions. If you are pregnant or have heart or blood pressure problems, ask a doctor before booking hot baths or mud.
• Children. The spa does not publish a policy on children, and it is set up as an adult treatment centre. Ask before bringing anyone under 18.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Ponte della Maddalena (also called the Ponte del Diavolo) at Borgo a Mozzano is on the way up from Lucca. In Bagni di Lucca, the old casino and the English cemetery recall the town’s 19th-century visitors. Barga, a hill town further up the Serchio, makes a good half-day add-on.