QC Termemilano: a personal review of the spa in a former tram depot

QC Terme has been a well-known name in the world of wellness for more than forty years. I first came across one of their spas after reading an article online and decided to visit it the very same day. That was in 2015 in Milan, and my wife and I have been going back ever since. This is a personal review, not a sponsored article.

The spa stands in a historic complex in the Porta Romana area, on the site of a former tram depot. In the 19th century this was the depot and station of the city's horse-drawn and later electric trams. That past lives on in the iconic Tram Sauna, a bio-sauna built right inside a historic tram car, which now stands in the garden next to the pool. The whole site is surrounded by the remains of the Spanish walls from the 16th century, built between 1548 and 1562. Over the centuries they became park promenades, and today their arches and ramparts make a dramatic backdrop for the outdoor pools. The conversion into a city spa was built on the contrast between the old masonry, the industrial elements of the depot and modern design, and the walls even have their own architectural lighting. In the evening, when the arches light up and candles float on the water, it is the most beautiful moment of the day.

When you enter, a very spacious reception welcomes you, scented with QC's original fragrances, which you can try and buy. There are also light refreshments and water, which shows how much the whole concept cares about hospitality. The spa can be enjoyed for a whole day, lunch and the evening aperitif included. I recommend that, but more on it later.

The staff are trained, friendly and professional. After check-in you get a bathrobe, a towel and flip-flops and head to the changing rooms. QC provides plenty of creams, shampoos and soaps from its own brand, which is another big plus, so apart from a swimsuit you hardly need to bring anything.

QC Termemilano offers a wide range of saunas, whirlpools and pools and changes them regularly, so every one of my visits has been a completely different experience. That is something I love about QC Terme. The spaces are truly unique and you walk through these other worlds of harmony and rest in amazement. And speaking of rest: the relaxation rooms are unique and that is something wonderful. Loungers under white wire domes among silhouettes of trees, darkened rooms with blankets, and our favourite water bed, on which my wife and I always fell asleep.

Moving outside, there are several pools and whirlpools. The main pool lies right under the brick arches of the walls, with hydromassage loungers and jets in the water and a waterfall to massage your shoulders. In the middle of the water stands a steaming bronze globe with a map of the world, and behind it the yellow historic tram with the sauna. Next to it is a round whirlpool with a wooden deck and loungers all around, where you can lie in your bathrobe in the sun, and more loungers on the lawn in the garden. In the colder months a glass dome glows here, where people go to warm up under a blanket. From the water you look at the Milanese houses above the walls, and in winter steam rises from the pool.

In the cellar we have the Kneipp path, my favourite, a foot scrub, saunas and a stone bed where you lie while warm and cold rain falls on you under ambient lighting. Among the most popular attractions, which you have surely seen on social media, is the room where rain falls from the whole ceiling straight into a pool while the sky and mountains are projected on the walls, with ambient sound, so you sit in the water in the middle of a thunderstorm. A truly unique experience.

After a while you get hungry, and that is taken care of too: macarons, very good teas and water, sparkling and still.

The absolute highlight for me is the aperitif included in the ticket, which QC calls Aperiterme. It is served in the early evening; the exact time for the day of your visit is on your ticket and the staff tell you at check-in. The setting is beautiful, with a tropical atmosphere: tall green walls, hanging orchids, palms whose shadows fall on the plaster, metal tables and glass doors to the garden. You have your half hour with very good snacks, fruit, olives and cheese. With it you can have beer, wine, coffee or another drink, two of them included. This is what sets the best spas apart from the rest. My wife and I always look forward to it, and afterwards we take a siesta in one of the many relaxation rooms.

If you want to stay the whole day, you can pay extra for lunch. On our last visit it cost €34 per person and it is three hours of buffet with unlimited food and drink: salads, cheeses, bread, cold cuts, hot pasta, plus wine and beer. It is worth it if you do not want to leave in the middle of the day.

What to expect. Swimwear is compulsory everywhere, saunas included; there is no swimwear-free zone and nobody will make an exception for you. For sauna-goers used to Austrian or German thermal baths this is the biggest minus, and it is best to take it as part of Italian culture. At weekends and on holidays it gets crowded, mainly in the afternoon and around the aperitif; the best time is a weekday right after opening, when you have the pools almost to yourself. Book your entry online in advance. In early 2024 a full-day weekday ticket cost €62 including the bathrobe, towel, flip-flops and the aperitif; the weekend price differs. The current price list is on the QC website, check it before you go. If you are curious about QC Terme San Pellegrino, have a look at its profile.

After ten years my wife and I still love coming here. Mainly because the place keeps changing and I never know what is behind the next door, and because along with the water and the saunas they give you food, drink and half an hour at a table, without the feeling that you are just a number on a ticket. These spas have become more and more popular in recent years and can be full on some days. It is a place for a day that ends with you sitting in a bathrobe among orchids with a glass of wine, planning when you will come next. How far is it from you? Enter your town on findspa.app to see the drive time, or open the profile of QC Termemilano right away.