A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. He became interested in the curative properties of the hot mineral waters there and in 1676 wrote A discourse of Bathe, and the hot waters there. Also, Some Enquiries into the Nature of the water. This brought the purported health-giving properties of the waters to the attention of the aristocracy, who started to partake in them soon after.[1]
The term spa is used for towns or resorts offering hydrotherapy, which can include cold water or mineral water treatments and geothermal baths, and comes from the Belgian town Spa.[2]
In Queensland, many towns have mineral springs created by artesian bores into the Great Artesian Basin, often the only or primary water supply to the towns. Some of these towns had periods of popularity as spa towns, including Ararmac, Barcaldine, Dalby, Helidon, Innot Hot Springs, and Muckadilla, mostly in the late 1800s and early 1900s when mineral spas were believed to cure various medical conditions. However, the remote locations of most of these towns made them expensive to visit and only small-scale spa facilities developed there. Helidon, a day trip from Brisbane by car, was more successful, particularly with growing owernship of cars after World War II. However, concerns about radioactivity and bacterialcontamination resulted in the Helidon Spa falling into disuse by 1994. Many towns in Queensland continue to provide bathing facilities fed by hot springs, but these are promoted as relaxing holiday activities rather than as medical treatments.[4]
Belgium
Chaudfontaine (whose name literally means "hot fountain" in French)
Banja Slatina, Slatina - Slatina is a spa town, well-known as one of the best health resorts for rheumatism in the region. Slatina has a tradition since 1870s.
Traditionally, Hanko,[5]Rauma[6] and Kalajoki have been considered spa towns. Today there are more than 50 spas (kylpylä) in Finland;[7] some towns known for their spa centers include Ikaalinen, Naantali and Imatra.
In Hungary, the word fürdő or the more archaic füred ("bath"), fürdőváros ("spa town") or fürdőhely ("bathing place") implies a spa town. Hungary is rich in thermal waters with health benefits, and many spa towns are popular tourist destinations. Budapest has several spas, including Turkish style spas dating back to the 16th century. Eger also has a Turkish spa. Other famous spas include the ones at Hévíz, Harkány, Bük, Hajdúszoboszló, Gyula, Bogács, Bükkszék, Zalakaros, the Cave Bath at Miskolctapolca and the Zsóry-fürdő at Mezőkövesd.
In Italy, spa towns, called città termale (from Latin thermae), are very numerous all over the country because of the intense geological activity of the territory. These places were known and used since the Roman age.
Most spa towns in Poland are located in the Lesser Poland and Lower Silesian Voivodeships. Some of them have an affix "Zdrój" in their name (written with hyphen or separately), meaning "water spring", to denote their spa status, but this is not a general rule (e.g. Ciechocinek and Inowrocław are spa towns, but do not use the affix).
Some but not all UK spa towns contain "Spa", "Wells", or "Bath" in their names, e.g., Matlock Bath. Some towns are designated Spa Heritage Towns. Two out of four of the English towns granted the title "Royal", Royal Leamington Spa and Royal Tunbridge Wells, are spa towns.
in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland - Bad, the first part of the names of most spa towns, a cognate to the English "bath" while "Therme" is used for the spa itself.
Băile Herculane is a spa town in Romanian Banat, in Caraș-Severin County, situated in the valley of the Cerna River, between the Mehedinți Mountains to the east and the Cerna Mountains to the west, elevation 168 m (551 ft). Its current population is 3,787. The town administers one village, Pecinișca.
Teplice is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 51,000 inhabitants. It is the most populous Czech spa town, followed by Karlovy Vary. The historic city centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
Sokobanja is a spa town and municipality located in the Zaječar District of the eastern Serbia. As of 2022, the population of the town is 7,188, while population of the municipality is 13,199.
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.
Mariánské Lázně is a spa town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. Most of the town's buildings come from its Golden Era in the second half of the 19th century, when many celebrities and top European rulers came to enjoy the curative carbon dioxide springs.
Trenčianske Teplice is a health resort and small spa town in western Slovakia, in the valley of the river Teplička, at the foothills of the Strážovské vrchy mountains, a few kilometres away from the city of Trenčín.
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to prehistoric times. Spa towns, spa resorts, and day spas are popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan.
Poços de Caldas is a municipality in the south of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, in the microregion of the same name. Its estimated population in 2020 was 168,641 inhabitants. The city is known for its hot springs
Băile Tușnad is a town in Harghita County, Romania in eastern Transylvania.
Františkovy Lázně is a spa town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 5,800 inhabitants. Together with neighbouring Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně, it forms the West Bohemian Spa Triangle. The town centre is well preserved and since 1992 has been protected as an urban monument reservation. In 2021, the town became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its natural springs and its architectural testimony to the popularity of spa towns across Europe in the 18th through 20th centuries.
Banja Koviljača is a popular tourist spot and spa town located in the city of Loznica, Serbia. Situated on the west border of Serbia by the Drina River and 137 kilometres (85 mi) from Belgrade, it is the oldest spa town in Serbia. As of 2011 census, it has 5,151 inhabitants.
Vrnjačka Banja is a town and municipality located in the Raška District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 9,252 inhabitants, while the population of the municipality is 25,065 inhabitants.
Stubičke Toplice is a municipality in Croatia in the Krapina-Zagorje County. With its centuries-old tourist tradition, it is a very popular vacation spot located in the continental part of the country, serving as a spa center and health resort. Connected by the state road D307 and L202 railway it is located 40 kilometers north from the country's capital city Zagreb. From amalgamation of a local community, the municipality of Stubičke Toplice was founded on 27 April 1993 as a unit of local government.
Świeradów-Zdrój is a spa town in Lubań County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland near the border with the Czech Republic. The town is located in the Kwisa valley of the Jizera Mountains, a part of the Sudetes range. It lies approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Lubań, and 123 kilometres (76 mi) west of the regional capital Wrocław.
Mineral spas are spa resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral springs. Like seaside resorts, they are mainly used recreationally although they also figured prominently in prescientific medicine.
Ovčar Banja is a village and a spa located in the city of Čačak, Serbia. Located near the Ovčar-Kablar Gorge in the valley of the West Morava, it is known as the "Serbian Mount Athos" because of the numerous monasteries situated in this area. As of 2011 census, it has a population of 122 inhabitants.
Caldelas is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Guimarães. With an area of 2.69 km² and 6304 inhabitants. Its population density is 2 343.5 hab./km².
Schumer Springs is an unincorporated community in southern Cinque Hommes Township in Perry County, Missouri, United States.
References
↑ Burns, D. Thorburn (1981). "Thomas Guidott (1638–1705): Physician and Chymist, contributor to the analysis of mineral waters". Analytical Proceedings. 18 (1): 2–6. doi:10.1039/AP9811800002.
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