Gross-Barmen Hot Springs

A Rhenish mission station was established here in 1844 as one o f Namibia’s earliest mission stations. The German missionaries named it Neo Barmen after Barmen, the headquarters of the Rhenish Mission Society in Germany.

Situated 25 km west of Okahandja and 100 km from Windhoek, Gross-Barmen is a popular day resort for Namibians and a stopover for tourists. Water from the mineral-rich spring has a temperature of about 65 degrees Celsius, which is cooled to about 40 degrees for the revitalising indoor thermal pool.

Park size 1 km²

Proclamation Gross-Barmen Hot Springs in 1968 Natural features Hot springs Vegetation Tree and Shrub Savannah Biome.

Vegetation type: Highland Shrubland

Wildlife Kudu, warthog and baboon. The 191 bird species recorded include Rufus-bellied Heron, Dwarf Bittern, Macoa Duck, African Jacana and Palm Swift.

Tourism Thermal hall and outdoor pool. Bird-watching. Camping and bungalows. Conference facilities. Restaurant, kiosk and shop. Ruins of the original mission house still visible.