As soon as you open the door of Le Grand Hammam de Bordeaux, the hot, perfumed air wraps itself around you like an embrace. As the door closes, the outside world disappears. You can no longer even hear it.
“This is not just a place to physically pamper yourself,” says Kadia, the owner’s daughter.
It is a place to relax and enjoy the company of other women, with no men around. When my father opened it nearly 30 years ago, this was the first women-only hammam in France.”
Most hammams in France are open to both sexes on different days. A few have mixed sessions for couples. Each hammam is slightly different. Some have huge slabs of hot stone to lie on, others have small pools of water. They are different from saunas in that there is no requirement to dive into a pile of freshly fallen snow or even take a cold shower.
The entrance to the hammamSamantha David
The lobby of the Grand Hammam is a taste of things to come. The lighting is soft, the scented air steamy, the decor reminiscent of Morocco. It costs €28 for an unlimited session in the hammam and then you can add whatever other services you fancy from a tempting list of massages and wellness treatments.
The most common one is a gommage - a scrub-down with black soap. This is a very alkaline soap made with olive oil and macerated olives which give it a dark green/black colour.
The receptionist gives you a little pot of it, and then you walk through a lounge area into a changing area equipped with lockers and pegs. There are no cubicles for changing. You just strip down to a swimsuit or a bikini. Some hammams allow people to go completely nude, but this one prefers women to keep at least a bikini bottom on.
It is best to take your own towel(s) because the towels for hire (€2) are quite small. You will also need a pair of flip-flops, although you can buy a disposal pair (€4) if you forget. You can take personal hygiene and beauty products into the hammam if you wish.
There are two rooms: one is filled with very hot, dense steam and lined with tiled benches; the other is less hot but just as steamy. It has showers at the end and all down each side are taps which run into basins. You sit before one on a low stool, use a scoop to cover yourself in water and then rub black soap all over yourself. You can alternate wandering between the two rooms until either it is your turn for a gommage, or you decide to call it a day.
Everywhere is warm, steamy and dimly lit. You cannot really see across the room nor clearly see the other women in the hammam either. The floor tiles can be slippery however, so you need to watch where you are walking.
The gommage room is also tiled with two solid tables to lie upon. Everything is wet, and there is more water pouring over you. The assistants use an exfoliating glove (you can take your own) to scrub you down.
For most people, the gommage is the end of the session but no one minded when I decided to wash my hair in the shower before getting dressed. There is a hair drier but it cuts out rather a lot, so I would recommend taking your own. And once you are dressed again, you can lounge on the banquettes drinking mint tea, because hammams are incredibly relaxing.
Relax with some tea after your hammam sessionLe Grand Hammam de Bordeaux
There are hammams all across France. To find a local one, search online or ask at the Tourist Office.
