Spa town

A spa town, or simply spa, is a town that many people go to for health reasons. There is usually a spring there, or several springs. The water that comes from these springs is good for curing many illnesses. When people go to a spa town to get better we say that they go to "take the waters".

The word "spa" comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was called a ville d'eau (town of water). The term spa is used for towns or resorts which offer hydrotherapy (making people better with water). This can include cold water or mineral water treatments and hot spring baths.

Spa Town Media

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  The statue of "The crutchbreaker" in the spa town Piešťany (Slovakia) – a symbol of balneotherapy

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  Print of Spa, Belgium, 1895

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  Ikaalisten Kylpylä, a spa center in Ikaalinen, Pirkanmaa, Finland

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  The picture contains a scene from the Slatina Spa

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  The Roman walls of Hisarya. Many spa towns in Bulgaria have existed since the Roman Empire.

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  The spa town of Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad)

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  Binz on Rugia Island, Germany

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  Salsomaggiore Terme, in Northern Italy.

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  Te Aroha Hot Springs Domain

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  A waterfall in Caldas de Monchique, Algarve (south region of Portugal)