We present eleven of the most famous spa towns from seven European countries, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Great Spa Towns of Europe:
- Baden bei Wien (Austria)
- Spa (Belgium)
- Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic)
- Františkovy Lázně (Czech Republic)
- Mariánské Lázně (Czech Republic)
- Vichy (France)
- Bad Ems (Germany)
- Baden-Baden (Germany)
- Bad Kissingen (Germany)
- Montecatini Terme (Italy)
- City of Bath (United Kingdom)
Do you know them? Each one is exceptional. They possess outstanding cultural and natural significance that transcends national borders. They preserve universal values that we are responsible for safeguarding for future generations. Together, at the beginning of the 18th century, they helped make spa culture an essential part of human life. The development of balneology, which continued until the 1930s, has never stopped here and continues to thrive and evolve – dynamically and in a modern way.
All of these towns began with a spring. They learned to work with mineral water and to value it deeply. They elevated it into a precious natural source that continues to treat patients from all over the world today. Spa towns are synonymous with wellbeing, relaxation, a wide range of treatments, and, of course, social life. Drinking halls, treatment facilities and colonnades have always served as places for bathing and drinking cures. Cultural life was also an essential part of the spa experience – theatre visits, walks through parks, or trips by funicular into the surrounding therapeutic landscape were all naturally connected with it. Infrastructure developed, and the spa towns flourished.
