Istiea-Aedipsos (Greece)

This small town with its numerous springs appears in many of the most famous books of antiquity:  Herodotus’ “Histories”, Pliny’s “Natural History”, Strabo’s “Geography”, and Plutarch and Alexander Moraitidis give it a mention too.  Aristotle even examined the waters for his “Meteorology”.  Edipsos was also one of the few towns in the ancient world to mint it’s own coins, as it was famous for its copper mines as well as its waters.According to Greek Mythology, the Goddess Athena asked her brother Hephaestus, the God of Fire to create the healing springs of Aedipsos for her protégé Hercules to rest and recover after each of his tasks. Thermal springs emerged after Hephaestus struck the earth with his hammer, and for a while the place was named “Hercules Thermal”.  Local legends also advised showering in the thermal waters to produce numerous healthy children.Roman emperors such as Hadrian, Septimus Severus and Marcus Aurilius visited while the town flourished, and it was the General Sulla (Sylla), who gave his name to the baths established in a cave located behind the present day National Tourist Organisation’s hydrotherapy facilities.  The Cave is actually a small domed building, which over time has been covered in mineral residues from the waters, giving it the appearance of a cave.  Statues of Roman Emperors stand guard at the entrance to the cave, one with an inscription which honors the Emperor Constantine of Byzantium.Sylla’s name has also been lent to the most luxurious hotel here, the Thermae Sylla Spa and Hotel , completed in 1897, at the time that Loutra Edipsos, was experiencing a revival, evidenced by the Belle Epoque villas and hotels which now lend a turn-of-the-century elegance to the town.
The old Agioi Anargyroi Hydrotherapy Centre, a large red building in the heart of town, was designed by Ziller, the 19th century celebrity architect.