German Sauna Words and Signs: Textilfrei, Aufguss, Damentag

Part of The German Sauna Guide — built from venues’ published house rules, not from a personal visit.

German thermal baths post their rules on the wall, in German, in a font size that assumes you can read them. A translation app handles the long sentences. What it handles badly is the short ones — the single word on a door, the one column heading on the schedule board — because those are the words that carry a rule rather than a description.

This page lists the words you will actually meet, in the order you meet them: on the way in, on the schedule board, on your own shoulder, and in the rest of the building. Each one is quoted from a document a venue publishes itself, so you can check any of it against the source.

On the door

These four decide what you wear and whether you are allowed through at all. They are the highest-stakes words in the building.

Textilfrei — textile-free. Swimwear is not permitted past this point. Munich’s municipal baths put it without any room for interpretation: “Die Saunalandschaften der M-Saunen sind textilfreie Bereiche, d. h. das Tragen von Badehose, Badeanzug oder Bikini ist nicht erlaubt.” Therme Erding words it as “Die VitalTherme & Saunen ist eine textilfreie Zone” and adds, in the same breath, that the area is not a naturist facility. Textile-free is a dress rule for one zone, not a philosophy.
Textil or Badetextil — the opposite sign. Swimwear is worn here, and in most large Thermen this covers the thermal pools, the outdoor basin and the family areas.
Damentag — ladies’ day, the weekly slot reserved for women. Munich states that “In jeder M-Sauna gibt es mindestens jeweils einen Damentag, an dem der Zutritt den weiblichen Gästen vorbehalten ist.” Which day it falls on is set per venue, and it is the first thing to check before you travel. We went through nine venues’ published schedules on the Damentag page.
Saunalandschaft or Saunabereich — the sauna area as a whole: the cabins, the cool-down, the rest rooms and the garden that belong to them. When a rule says it applies “im gesamten Saunabereich”, it applies outdoors and in the café too, not just inside a cabin.

On the schedule board

Every sauna area has a timetable near the entrance. It is usually the only piece of German in the building that people photograph, and these are its column headings.

Aufguss — the infusion ceremony, and the reason the board exists. Water, usually scented, goes onto the hot stones and the steam is then moved around the cabin. Munich describes the pour itself: “Dabei gießen sie Wasser, oft mit einem Duftöl aromatisiert, mit einer Holzkelle auf die heißen Steine des Saunaofens.” It runs at fixed times and it is the busiest the cabin gets. What you are expected to do during one is on the Aufguss etiquette page.
Saunameister / Saunameisterin — the member of staff who performs it. Not a host and not an attendant: a trained role. Munich notes that the M-Saunen employ specially qualified sauna staff with years of experience who carry out the Aufgüsse. Therme Erding’s rules make the consequence explicit: “Aufgüsse dürfen nur vom Personal der THERME ERDING durchgeführt werden.” You never pour water yourself.
Wedeln — the towel work. “Das Verteilen des heißen Wasserdampfs während des Aufgusses mit dem Handtuch nennt man ‚Wedeln‘.” If a schedule lists an Aufguss ohne Wedeln, the steam is poured but not fanned, and the cabin stays noticeably gentler.
Saunagang — one round: the time in the cabin plus the cool-down that belongs to it. Venues count in rounds, not minutes, and a visit is normally two or three of them.
Schwitzkammer — literally sweat chamber, the formal word for a cabin in house rules. When Erding writes “In den Schwitzkammern ist ein ausreichend großes Liege- und Sitztuch unter den ganzen Körper (einschließlich der Füße) zu legen”, that is the towel rule, and it applies to every cabin in the house.

What you are carrying

Liege- und Sitztuch — the towel you lie and sit on. The published requirement is not a towel, it is a towel large enough for the whole body including the feet. This is the single rule most visitors arrive unable to satisfy, because a standard bath towel is too short. The full packing list is on what to bring to a German sauna.
Bademantel — bathrobe, and in most houses it is required rather than optional once you leave the cabin. Erding: “Nach Beendigung des Thermal- oder Saunabades, einschließlich der dazu erforderlichen Abkühlungsphase, ist deshalb ein Bademantel bzw. ein Handtuch umzulegen.” A towel around you satisfies it.
Badeschuhe — bath shoes. Erding recommends rather than mandates them: “es sollten grundsätzlich außerhalb der Becken rutschfeste Badeschuhe getragen werden.” They come off before you step into a cabin.
Schließfach — locker. Usually opened by the wristband you are given at the till, which is also what you pay with inside.

Everywhere else in the building

Ruhebereich / Ruheraum — the quiet area, and the sign is a rule, not a suggestion. Erding: “Mit Rücksicht auf das Ruhebedürfnis aller Gäste ist im gesamten Bade- und Ruhebereich sowie insbesondere in den Saunen und in den Dampfbädern auf Ruhe zu achten.” Conversation moves outside.
Abkühlen — cooling down, treated as part of the round rather than an afterthought. Munich: “Für die gesundheitliche Wirkung ist das Abkühlen nach dem Saunagang unverzichtbar.”
Tauchbecken — the cold plunge pool. “In diesem kleinen Becken mit kaltem Wasser können Sie sich … nach dem Saunagang abkühlen.” You shower before you get in.
Kneippschlauch — the hose on the wall by the cold pool, for running cold water over your limbs. Milder than the plunge and the usual first step.
Dampfbad — steam room. Lower temperature, near-total humidity, and it sits under the same quiet rule as the cabins.

The three words that actually change what you do

If you remember nothing else from this page, these three are the ones with a consequence attached.

Textilfrei tells you the swimsuit comes off before that door, and there is no version of the rule where it stays on.
Damentag tells you whether you can go in today at all.
Liege- und Sitztuch tells you the towel in your bag may be the wrong size, and that is a problem to solve before you travel, not at the entrance.

Frequently asked questions

What does textilfrei mean on a sauna door?

Textile-free: swimming costumes, trunks and bikinis are not permitted in that area. Munich’s municipal baths name all three garments explicitly. It applies to the sauna zone only — the thermal pools in the same building are usually marked Textil and swimwear is worn there.

Is textilfrei the same as a naturist or FKK venue?

No, and Therme Erding says so in its own house rules: the sauna area is textile-free but is not a naturist facility. The rules also require you to put on a robe or towel once you have finished the round and cooled down, which is the opposite of how a naturist venue works.

What is a Damentag?

A day of the week on which the sauna area is reserved for women. Munich guarantees at least one per week in every M-Sauna. The day differs by venue and is published on the venue’s own schedule.

Who performs the Aufguss?

Staff only. Therme Erding states that infusions may be carried out only by its own personnel, and Munich describes the role as a qualified specialist position. Guests do not pour water on the stones and may not bring their own infusion oils.

What size towel does a German sauna actually require?

One large enough to go under your whole body including your feet — that is the published wording, not a rule of thumb. A standard bath towel usually falls short for an adult; a bath sheet does not.

Do all German venues use the same words?

The core vocabulary repeats: Textilfrei, Aufguss, Ruhebereich, Bademantel, Saunagang. The schedule words vary more, and each house sets its own days, age limits and details. The sign at the entrance is the authority in that building.

Sources and verification

Every German phrase quoted above is taken from a document the operator publishes itself. This page is not a record of a personal visit.

Therme Erding — Haus- und Badeordnung, in force since 23 February 2026
Stadtwerke München — Sauna-ABC: Tipps und Regeln für die Saunen der M-Bäder

Last verified: 27 September 2026. House rules and schedules change without notice and venues differ from one another by design. The signage at the entrance and the venue’s own current page are the authority; this page is a starting point for planning, not a substitute for either.

Some pages on this site contain Amazon affiliate links, from which we earn a commission on qualifying purchases. This page is researched from published house rules and is not a claim of personal testing, nor medical advice.