Hammam Basar Balm for the Soul

Now and then, I do make the time and effort for rest and relaxation. Time to myself. Time to concentrate on the essentials. A perfect place for this is Lis Mijnssen’s Hammam Basar on Mühlebachstrasse, where guests are welcome to a steam room, salon and basar.

I started my visit with a tour of the subtle, but beautifully designed hammam. After a brief introduction to the ritual I cleansed using the house Savon Noir made with olive oil, crushed olive stones and cedar ash. I washed thoroughly and then relaxed, alternating between the steam room and the large heated stone in the hot room. Here I practically forgot time and space.

The last part was an essence - enriched Rhassoul treatment. I entered the warm-up room, where I applied the mineralizing, detoxifying and energizing clay on my face, body and hair, leaving a delicate peach skin glow after rinsing. Deeply relaxed, I then spent some time in the purist designed relaxation room. My massage - I opted for the "Sur les traces du Hammam" was simply heavenly. Afterwards, I had the feeling of being reborn!

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In the salon, a restaurant serving Mediterranean-Maghreb specialties, I enjoyed the grand finale of a delectable salad - tomatoes, cucumber and coriander and crispy pastry filled pouches. Everything is very healthy and freshly prepared using organic ingredients. So delicious, I certainly will eat here more often.

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As I spoke with the wordly Lis Mijnssen, I gained some background knowledge of her motivation for the hammam. It's been almost 30 years, she told me, since her return from a trip to Africa - deeply impressed by the local hammam culture. People, she observed, coming out of the hammam did not just leave a cleansing ritual behind. The visit to the hammam changes something in people. They become relieved of their everyday burdens and return to being themselves.

When Lis was offered the opportunity to acquire the northern part of the historical Patumbah Park to realize her hammam in 2001, her decision was made quickly; here she would share her enthusiasm for the Maghreb culture. West interpreted and meeting our local needs with high quality standards meant, importantly to her, ecological sustainability. And with Hammam Basar Lis has truly succeeded.