Aspa town is aresort town based on amineral spa (a developedmineral spring). Patrons may visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town ofBath in 1668. He became interested in the curative properties of the hot mineral waters there and in 1676 wroteA 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 termspa is used for towns or resorts offeringhydrotherapy, which can include cold water ormineral water treatments and geothermal baths, and comes from the Belgian townSpa.[2]
There are mineral springs in theCentral Highlands of Victoria. Most are in and aroundDaylesford andHepburn Springs.[3]Daylesford andHepburn Springs call themselves "Spa Country" and the "Spa Centre of Australia".
InQueensland, many towns have mineral springs created byartesian bores into theGreat Artesian Basin, often the only or primary water supply to the towns. Some of these towns had periods of popularity as spa towns, includingArarmac,Barcaldine,Dalby,Helidon,Innot Hot Springs, andMuckadilla, 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 fromBrisbane by car, was more successful, particularly with growing ownership of cars afterWorld War II. However, concerns aboutradioactivity andbacterialcontamination 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]
Brazil has a growing number of spa towns. The traditional ones are:Águas de Lindoia,Serra Negra,Águas de São Pedro,Caxambu,Poços de Caldas,Caldas Novas,Araxá, andSão Lourenço.
Bulgaria is known for its more than 500 mineral springs, including the hottest spring in the Balkans atSapareva Banya - 103 °C. Other famous spa towns includeSandanski,Hisarya,Bankya,Devin,Kyustendil,Varshets,Velingrad.
InBulgarian, the word for a spa isбаня (transliteratedbanya).
Harrison Hot Springs is one of the oldest among 18 in British Columbia; there are also two in Alberta and one in Ontario.
InCroatia, the wordToplice implies a spa town. The most famous spa towns in Croatia areDaruvar,Šibenik andSisak.
InCzech, the wordLázně implies a spa town. The most famous spa towns in Czech Republic are theWest Bohemian Spa Triangle ofKarlovy Vary,Františkovy Lázně andMariánské Lázně, listed onUNESCO World Heritage Site. Other important spas areLuhačovice,Teplice,Jáchymov,Konstantinovy Lázně,Jeseník,Třeboň,Poděbrady,Bechyně orVelké Losiny.
Traditionally,Hanko,[5]Rauma[6] andKalajoki have been considered spa towns. Today there are more than 50 spas (kylpylä) in Finland;[7] some towns known for their spa centers includeIkaalinen,Naantali andImatra.
InFrance, the wordsbains,thermes andeaux in city names often imply a spa town. There are more than 50 spa towns in France, includingVichy,Aix-les-Bains,Bagnoles-de-l'Orne,Dax, andEnghien-les-Bains.
Borjomi is one such example in south Georgia.
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InGermany, the wordBad implies a spa (bath) town. It is also referred to as a "kurort" - a place for curing. Among the many famous spa towns in Germany areBad Aachen,Baden-Baden,Bad Brückenau,Bad Ems,Bad Homburg,Bad Honnef,Bad Kissingen,Bad Kreuznach,Bad Mergentheim,Bad Muskau,Bad Oeynhausen,Bad Pyrmont,Bad Reichenhall,Bad Saarow,Bad Schandau,Bad Schönborn,Bad Segeberg,Bad Soden,Bad Tölz,Bad Wildbad,Bad Wimpfen,Bad Wildstein,Berchtesgaden,Binz,Freudenstadt,Heiligendamm,Heringsdorf,Kampen,Königstein,Radebeul,Schwangau,St. Blasien,Titisee,Tegernsee,Travemünde andZingst.Wiesbaden is the largest spa town in Germany.
The most popular spa towns in Greece areAidipsos, Agkistro, Serres,Loutraki,Kamena Vourla,Kimolos,Loutra Kyllinis,Sidirokastro, Serres, LakkosMilos,Loutrochori, Aridaia, Pella (Pozar)
InHungary, the wordfürdő or the more archaicfüred ("bath"),fürdőváros ("spa town") orfürdőhely ("bathing place") implies a spa town. Hungary is rich in thermal waters with purported health benefits, and many spa towns are popular tourist destinations.Budapest hasseveral spas, including Turkish style spas dating back to the 16th century.Eger also has a Turkish spa. Other famous spas include the ones atHévíz,Harkány,Bük,Hajdúszoboszló,Gyula,Bogács,Bükkszék,Zalakaros, theCave Bath atMiskolctapolca and the Zsóry-fürdő atMezőkövesd.
InItaly, spa towns, calledcittà termale (from Latinthermae), 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 theLesser Poland andLower Silesian Voivodeships. Some of them have an affix "Zdrój" in their name (written withhyphen or separately), meaning "water spring", to denote their spa status, but this is not a general rule (e.g.Ciechocinek andInowrocław are spa towns, but do not use the affix).
Portugal is well known by famous spa towns throughout of the country.
Due to its high quality, as well as the landscape where are located, the most important ones are:
InRomania, the wordBăile implies a spa town. The most famous spa towns in Romania areBăile Herculane,Băile Felix,Mangalia,Covasna,Călimănești &Borsec.
Serbia is known for its many spa cities. Some of the best known springs are theVrnjačka Banja,Bukovička Banja,Vrujci,Sokobanja andNiška Banja. The hottest spring in Serbia is atVranjska Banja (96°C)[8]
In Serbia, the wordBanja implies a spa town.
Slovakia is well known by its spa towns. The most famous is the city ofPiešťany inTrnava Region. Other notable spa towns in Slovakia include:
Spa towns inSlovenia includeRogaška Slatina,Radenci,Čatež ob Savi,Dobrna, Dolenjske Toplice, Šmarješke Toplice,Moravske Toplice,Rimske Toplice,Laško andTopolšica. They offer accommodation in hotels, apartments, bungalows, and camp sites. The Slovenian wordsterme ortoplice imply a spa town.
Spa towns inSouth Africa include:
Spa towns inSpain include:
Taiwan is home to a number of towns and cities with tourism infrastructure centered on hot springs. These include:
There are several spa tonws in Tunisia:
There are several spa towns inTurkey. The most famous of these is Pamukkale, Denizli where thePamukkale thermal springs are located.
Some but not allUK 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 andRoyal Tunbridge Wells, are spa towns.
Terms used in various countries:
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