Known as the “Pearl of Ardennes”, Spa nestles in a pretty forested valley, source of its world-famous bottled waters. Its healings springs, the pouhons, have been frequented since the 16th century and by the late 1700s Spa was a popular meeting place for the nobility and European bourgeoise, being known as the Café of Europe.
Today Spa is a lively town offering museums, shopping, sporting activities and plenty of cultural events, including the Francofolies festival each year, the prestigious casino and its world-famous racetrack.
Spa is one of the eleven Great Spa Towns of Europe, inscribed on the World Heritage List since 2021.
Although probably known by the Romans (Sparsa is the past tense of the Latin verb meaning “to gush forth”) Spa’s history did not really begin until 1559, with the publication of the book “Des Fontaines acides de la forest d’Ardenne”, written by Lymborth,doctor to the prince-bishop of Liège. The treaty on the properties of Spa’s springs quickly spread through European courts and prestigious visitors began to came here looking for the healing springs.
Among these visitors, is notable the stay of Czar Peter the Great in 1717, who found relief for his liver disease at Spa’s pouhons. Word of his cure did the round of the European courts and launched the fashion for treatments in Spa.
By that time, Spa mineral water was already bottled and shipped all over Europe, as far as Russia: a flourishing industry still operating nowaydays.
Several sources and springs, known locally as the Pouhouns can be found in the town itself and the surrounding hills. Waters are not identical,and vary in composition and chracteristics: some are sparkling,some iron-rich, others slightly mineralised.
The pouhouns are always accessible to visitors, each of them useful to treat different conditions. Although Spa’s modern water therapies does not include drinking them anymore, curiosity is just a pretext as legitimate as any other, and many visitors still sample them.
Spa is also best-known for its bottled waters,exported worldwide. There are 3 different waters, named Riene, Marie-Henriette (gently carbonated), and Barisart (sparkling).
Pouhon Pierre le Grand
Soon famous for having healed Tsar Peter the Great, it is Spa’s most prolific spring; sparkling, rich in mineral salts and iron, flowing up to 21,000 liters per day.
The current building was first built in 1880, and house today the Tourist Office and the celebrated Spa «Livre d’Or», along with an outstanding collection of Joan Miró’s painting as well as others temporary exhibitions.
Prince de Condé
Discovered in 1863 by the pharmacist Schaltin, for many years its waters (the same as in Pierre le Grand but more mineralized) were bottled and sold.
The original building dates back to the 19th century, with a glass wall surrounding the spring. Today, a vanguardist glass pyramid adds a contemporary flair to a venue house to many art exhibitions.
The Tonnelet
This pouhon is named after the small barrels used to collect its water years ago.
Waters are the same as in the Spa Marie-Henriette, although more ferruginous and carbonated, and were studied by several scientific authorities, like André Trevisius, doctor to the Archeduke Albert and her wife Isabelle.
Sauvenière and Groesbeeck
Sauvenière is the oldest of Spa’s springs. According to legends, it was discovered by Saint Remacle who left the imprint of his sandal at the edge of the fountain. Said to cure men sterility, it soon became a pilgrimage place. Here starts the famous “Promenade d’Orléans”.
The neighbour Groesbeeck spring disappeared misteriously in 1663, only to reappear later with more and clearer water. The Groesbeeck Baron rected a marble niche here in 1651, restoured in 1773.
Pouhon Géronstère
Also named Enragée (“furious”), the springs, 400 meters asl, flows ferruginous and carbonated waters. With a strong sulphurous taste, it is highly recommended for infections of the respiratory tract, and was very used by Tsar Peter the Great.
. The pavilion and the water temple that house the spring were donated to Spa by the Earl of Burgsdorff in 1651, and was restored by the Spa Tourist Officce in 1979.
Pouhon Barisart
Already known and credited in the Lymborght list in 1559, it wasn’t harnessed until 1850.
A charming walk trough a romantic 19th century grotto and along little cascades and ponds connects it to her neighbouring sister of Géronstère. A new pump gallery and restaurants weer uilt here in 1970s
Proper balneotherapy treatments were not developed in Spa until the 19th century. Nevertheless, the first thermal baths were revolutionary at the time, introducing two new treatments: the effervescent baths, useful to combat heart diseases and high blood pressure, and the peat baths, indicated for rheumatism and skin diseases.
Spa old thermal baths were built between 1862 and 1868 under the supervision of architect Suys, author of the Brussels Stock Exchange building. The building, that still can be visited today, has got an impressive façade decorated with rich stone carvings and statues, work of Jacques Van Omberg and the Van Den Kerkhove brothers. The interior are decorated with paintings from Carpey.
Proper balneotherapy treatments were not developed in Spa until the 19th century. Nevertheless, the first thermal baths were revolutionary at the time, introducing two new treatments: the effervescent baths, useful to combat heart diseases and high blood pressure, and the peat baths, indicated for rheumatism and skin diseases.
Spa old thermal baths were built between 1862 and 1868 under the supervision of architect Suys, author of the Brussels Stock Exchange building. The building, that still can be visited today, has got an impressive façade decorated with rich stone carvings and statues, work of Jacques Van Omberg and the Van Den Kerkhove brothers. The interior are decorated with paintings from Carpey.
Spa’s rich history can be explored by visiting its rich built heritage and many museums, including one unusual one dedicated to the history of laundry. Visitor shouldn’t miss the Museum of Spaat the Villa Royale, the former residence of Queen Marie Henriette. The museum house a collection of jolités, craftsman-made wooden objects finally decorated which were very popular among bobelins at the end of the 18th century, probably the very first souvenirs in history.
Another interesting attractions is the «Eaudyssée de Spa» (Spa Water Odissey) exhibition at Spa Monopole; a magical journey which unveils the secrets of Spa natural mineral waters, their percolation and filtration including their unique protection.
A walk around the charming town shall include some sight-seeing, namely around the Parc de Sept-Heures and the Anglican Park, which remind us about the strong link between Spa and its English guests. The church of Saint Remacle and of course the Casino and the Waux-Hall, which was also a game house in the old days and have seen many uses througout the years.
The history of the thermal town is closely linked to motor sports and to the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack, whose creation dates from 1920. With an initial track of 14 km in the heart of a protected natural environment, it rapidly became the finest circuit in the world.