Background
The European Thermal Heritage Day is an annual event established by EHTTA’s Scientific Committee in 2018 as a celebration of European thermal heritage and an opportunity to raise awareness of the subject that is at the heart of the Association and its objectives. It is regarded as an example of best practice by the European Institute of Cultural Routes, and won an award in 2019 for the concept.
EHTTA believes that thermal heritage represents a very particular European phenomenon, which includes natural, cultural, and intangible resources. The concept of thermal heritage is used to promote health and wellbeing, to create original tourism destinations, and to protect magnificent cultural landscapes. European Thermal Heritage Day highlights the importance of thermal heritage as a centuries-old Europe-wide tradition, and to gain recognition and awareness of issues that affect the future of this valuable heritage.
In a series of three events, the European Thermal Heritage Day is looking at the development of the “Therapeutic (Spa) Landscape” in the years 2021-2023. After last year’s theme “Thermal Urbanism” the subject 2022 is “Parks and Gardens”, represented and hosted by the EHTTA member town Lądek-Zdrój in Poland.
As one of Europe’s oldest spa towns it is an outstanding example for the parks and gardens, for example around the thermal building of Zdrój Wojciech.
The Therapeutic (Spa) Landscape
Each spa town relies on its natural setting and the surrounding landscape which has been used and managed as a part of the ‘spa offer’ or attractiveness of the place since the 16th century, in other words the ‘therapeutic’ or spa landscape which is unique to spa towns. This has led to a specific historic urban landscape of transition which moves from the formal gardens in the centre of the spa town, formed around the principal public buildings to the wider ‘English’ style parkland of trees, shrubs and lawns, to the meadows and walks beyond leading into the hills and ‘wild’ landscape setting of the spa town.
The ‘natural’ landscape surrounding the spa towns is often less “natural” than it might appear, as it is a deliberately managed and planted forest to create the concept of ‘wilderness’ with prospects, viewpoints and ‘hidden surprises’ and features. This landscape was purposefully developed with health in mind, the development of which became a collaboration between the spa town authorities, private landowners, and the doctors practising in the town who prescribed walking and riding as part of the ‘cure’.
Programme
4th November at 10.00 CET (ONLINE)
Click here to join the event: Link to ZOOM
Moderated by Simone Zagrodnik, EHTTA Executive Director
10.00 | WELCOME Welcome by the host |
10.15
10.30 |
EHTTA Update Simone Zagrodnik, EHTTA Executive Director The Parks and Gardens in Lądek-Zdrój Grzegorz Szczygiel |
11.00 | Thermal Parks and Gardens in European historic thermal towns – |
11.30 | Revival of the thermal heart of Vichy: Restoration of the Parc des Sources and renovation of its surroundings – Dominique Scherer, Director of Green Spaces for the City of Vichy and project manager of the Parc des Sources restoration project / Anke Matthys, Vichy local coordinator of the Great Spa Towns of Europe |
12.00 | Bath and North East Somerset Council: Sydney Pleasure Gardens restoration project – Keith Rowe, Parks & Greenspaces Team Manager. |
12.45 | “Spacious parks and magnificent gardens on every side” – Walter S. McClellan’s 1930s journey to European Spas and his observations on the spa park. |
13.00 | Q & A – Discussion |