A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a compartment configured to receive the substrate table; a thermal conditioning unit arranged to receive a substrate to be exposed and thermally condition the substrate; and a transfer system for transferring a thermally conditioned substrate to the substrate table, wherein the substrate table and the thermal conditioning unit are arranged inside the compartment of the lithographic apparatus, at least during a transfer of the thermally conditioned substrate from the thermal conditioning unit to the substrate table.