Spa. Ville thermale

The history of Spa is intimately linked with that of its waters. The town whose name has become the generic term for health resorts worldwide, is a member of "Great European water towns"; a candidate for a place on UNESCO's world heritage list. Its claim rests on its particular style in developing special cures, infrastructure and landscapes around its springs and becoming known as the "café de l'Europe"; fashionable rendezvous for the European aristocracy at the turn of the 20th century. The cure, combining treatment, relaxation and pleasure, affects humans at different levels: physical, mental and emotional. The benefits achieved are the results of a whole range of activities punctuating the patient's day. The book is written around these key moments, each reflecting the essential human dimensions of body, spirit, emotions, soul…

L'histoire de Spa est intimement liée à celle de ses eaux. La ville, dont le nom est devenu l'appellation générique des centres de remise en forme, fait partie des Grandes Villes d'eaux d'Europe reprises récemment sur la liste indicative du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco. Cette reconnaissance s'appuie sur son allure particulière qui, autour de ses sources, a développé des soins, une infrastructure et un paysage spécifiques, jusqu'à devenir le « café de l'Europe », rendez-vous mondain de l'aristocratie européenne au tournant du XXe siècle. La cure, en associant soins, délassement et plaisirs, touche aux différents niveaux de l'être humain : physique, psychique et émotionnel. Les bienfaits qu'elle procure sont le résultat d'un ensemble d'activités ponctuant la journée du curiste. Le livre est organisé autour de ces moments-clés, qui renvoient chacune aux dimensions essentielles de l'être humain : le corps, l'esprit, les émotions, l'âme…

The history of Spa is intimately linked with that of its waters. The town whose name has become the generic term for health resorts worldwide, is a member of "Great European water towns"; a candidate for a place on UNESCO's world heritage list. Its claim rests on its particular style in developing special cures, infrastructure and landscapes around its springs and becoming known as the "café de l'Europe"; fashionable rendezvous for the European aristocracy at the turn of the 20th century. The cure, combining treatment, relaxation and pleasure, affects humans at different levels: physical, mental and emotional. The benefits achieved are the results of a whole range of activities punctuating the patient's day. The book is written around these key moments, each reflecting the essential human dimensions of body, spirit, emotions, soul…