Here’s some wonderful and welcome news in the world of spa culture—a group of European historic spa towns, collectively called The Great Spa Towns of Europe, just made Unesco’s highly coveted World Heritage list. Located in seven countries, the group is made up of 11 towns:
•Baden bei Wien, Austria
•Spa, Belgium
•Františkovy Lázně, Czechia
•Karlovy Vary, Czechia
•Mariánské Lázně, Czechia
•Vichy, France
•Bad Ems, Germany
•Baden-Baden. Germany
•Bad Kissingen. Germany
•Montecatini Terme, Italy
• City of Bath, United Kingdom
To quote Unesco:
“The transnational site of The Great Spa Towns of Europe comprises 11 towns, located in seven European countries. All of these towns developed around natural mineral water springs.They bear witness to the international European spa culture that developed from the early 18th century to the 1930s, leading to the emergence of grand international resorts that impacted urban typology around ensembles of spa buildings such as the kurhaus and kursaal (buildings and rooms dedicated to therapy), pump rooms, drinking halls, colonnades and galleries designed to harness the natural mineral water resources and to allow their practical use for bathing and drinking. Related facilities include gardens, assembly rooms, casinos, theatres, hotels and villas, as well as spa-specific support infrastructure. These ensembles are all integrated into an overall urban context that includes a carefully managed recreational and therapeutic environment in a picturesque landscape. Together, these sites embody the significant interchange of human values and developments in medicine, science, and balneology.”
Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. She is a pioneering spa journalist, most recently honored as one of the "Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness." She is an inaugural recipient of Folio's Top Women in Media Award, and was honored by ISPA with its distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. In 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, and in 2007, Mary co-founded Organic Spa magazine. A pioneer in the sustainable spa and beauty worlds, Mary is co-curator of Cosmoprof North America's Discover Green Pavilion. She is a Global Wellness Day Advisor, and a co-founder of the Washington Spa Alliance.
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