This blog post revisits, as promised earlier, the theme of new additions to the UNESCO World Heritage list, concentrating this time on spa towns. Eleven towns in seven different countries formed a collective transnational nomination that was successful in July 2021. The towns are:

• Baden bei Wien (Austria)
• Spa (Belgium)
• Františkovy Lázně, Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně (Czechia)
• Vichy (France)
• Bad Ems, Baden-Baden and Bad Kissingen (Germany)
• Montecatini Terme (Italy)
• Bath (United Kingdom)

United by the healing properties of their waters, these resorts were chosen to represent spa culture which had its heyday from the 18th century to early in the 20th century. Now, in the cold of winter after a period of possible festive overindulgence, is the perfect time to envelop ourselves with thoughts of such places with their thermal springs and health cures. Using, as ever, resources held in the University Library, I will look back to a time when these were fashionable leisure destinations, frequented by famous visitors and stimulating the publication of many guides and handbooks. Continue reading “The great spa towns of Europe” →