Hammams, or Turkish baths, are one of the unexpected delights of Paris. Much more luxurious than the standard Swedish sauna, these are places to linger and chat, and you can usually pay extra for a massage and a gommage – a rub down with a rubber glove – followed by mint tea to recover. Don't let modesty get the better of you, all are quite restrained in terms of nudity and the staff are consummate professionals. You're provided with a strip of linen, but swimsuits are almost always required for mixed men-and-women sessions.Les Bains du Marais 31–33 rue des Blancs-Manteaux, 4e tel 01.44.61.02.02, www.lesbainsdumarais.com. As much a posh health club as a hammam, with a rather chi-chi clientele. Offers facials, massage and haircuts, and you can lounge about in a robe with mint tea and a newspaper. Sauna and steam room entry costs €30, massage is €30 extra; there are mixed sessions on Wednesday evenings (7–11pm) and Sundays (11am–11pm) for which you have to bring a partner and a swimsuit. M° Rambuteau/St-Paul. Cléopatra Club 53 bd de Belleville, 11e tel 01.43.57.34.32. Women only. €15 for the hammam, €8 for gommage; €40 for hammam, gommage and massage. Very relaxed with beautiful tiling; mint tea served. M° Belleville. Tues–Sun 10am–6pm; closed July & Aug. Hammams des Grands Boulevards 28 bd Bonne Nouvelle, 10e tel 01.48.24.33.65. Fashionable new hammam with a good central location and a range of massage styles on offer, as well as a number of mixed sessions that are ideal for couples. Women: Sat 1–5pm; mixed (swimsuit obligatory): Mon 3–10pm, Wed 1–5pm, Sat 5–9pm, Sun 1–9pm; Men: Tues 1–10pm & Fri 1–8pm; nude sessions: Thurs 1–10pm (mixed; female partner obligatory for men), Wed 5–10pm (women only). Mon–Fri €21, Sat & Sun €23; massage, gommage and towels €52. M° Bonne Nouvelle. Hammam Med 43–45 rue Petit, 19e tel 01.42.02.31.05. A bit far away from the centre, but it's one of the nicer hammams in the city, offering great mud treatments. Women: Mon–Fri & Sun 11am–10pm; mixed (bring a swimsuit): Sat 11am–10pm. €34 hammam and gommage; €49 with massage. M° Laumière. Hammam de la Mosquée 39 rue Geoffroy-St-Hilaire, 5e tel 01.43.31.38.20. One of the most atmospheric baths in the city, with its vaulted cooling-off room and marble-lined steam chamber, and it's not intimidating if you've never taken a public bath before. It's very good value for €15, though towels are extra, and you can also have a reasonably priced massage and gommage. After your bath you can order mint tea and honey cakes around a fountain in the little courtyard café. Times may change, so check first, but generally women: Mon, Wed, Thurs & Sat 10am–9pm, Fri 2–9pm; men: Tues 2–9pm, Sun 10am–9pm. M° Censier-Daubenton.
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