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European Historic Thermal Towns Association

Friday, 19 April 2019 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union
Category/Kategorie: General, Architecture, EU blog post series, Bon voyage, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

🔊 Listen to this Post The European Route of Historic Thermal Cities is a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. The route is supported by the European Historic Thermal Towns Association (EHTTA), founded in 2011, a nonprofit organization with currently 26 members in 11 European countries (including Turkey). In the spring of 2013 EHTTA was awarded the “Cultural Route of Europe” by the “European Institute of Cultural Routes”. The Press Office of the City of Baden-Baden calls the European Route of Historic Thermal Baths the European Bathing Route. Under the title Great Spas of Europe, some of these cities have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage.

The European Route of Historic Thermal Cities, EHTTA’s first project, is a trail that traces the sites where bathing culture in Europe developed. The route ideally combines the cultural and architectural heritage of the spa towns and promotes the quality of their mineral waters. It aims to promote and sustain the common development of thermal cities, develop a network of close cooperation with European institutions and European funding programs, promote the development of bathing industry research, analysis, studies and statistics, and develop a new strategy for the spa sector high cultural and tourist potential.

In order to be recognized as a thermal town in the sense of the route, according to the statutes of the EHTTA, a spa town need have the following characteristics:

• A thermal town must use its own thermal water (this does not necessarily have to be bottled) and, building on this, run a spa and / or wellness center with a historical tradition.
• A thermal town must have a resort architecture built no later than the 19th century, including one or more buildings related to the spa and classified as historical monuments.
• A thermal town must traditionally provide cultural and entertainment opportunities, e.g. theater performances, casinos, concerts, etc.
• A thermal town has to offer hotels of the highest quality with a high number of rooms, which are connected with the spa offer of the city.

The following countries currently belong to the European Historic Thermal Towns Association: Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italien, Romania, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom.

Member cities are: Acqui Terme (Italy), Baden-Baden (Germany), Bagnères-de-Luchon (France), Bagnoles-de-l’Orne (France), Bath (United Kingdom), Budapest (Hungary), Bursa (Turkey), Cauterets (France), Châtel-Guyon (France), Daruvar (Croatia), Enghien-les-Bains (France), Évian-les-Bains (France), Fiuggi (Italy), Karlovy Vary Region (Czech Republic), La Bourboule (France), Mont-Dore (France), Montecatini Terme (Italy), Ourense (Spain), Royat–Chamalières (France), Salsomaggiore Terme (Italy), Spa (Belgium), Techirghiol (Romania), Vichy (France) and Wiesbaden (Germany).

The EHTTA also includes the following two city associations:

• A.N.CO.T. (Assoziatione Nationale Comuni Termali, Italy): Abano Terme, Acqui Terme, Alì Terme, Bacoli, Bagno di Romagna, Battaglia Terme, Benetutti, Bertinoro, Campiglia Marittima, Cannobio, Caramanico Terme, Casamicciola Terme, Casciana Terme, Castellammare di Stabia, Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole, Chianciano Terme, Crodo, Fiuggi, Garniga Terme, Lamezia Terme, Levico Terme, Margherita di Savoia, Monsummano Terme, Monte Grimano Terme, Montecatini Terme, Montegrotto Terme, Montepulciano, Montevago, Montignoso, Nocera Umbra, Premia, Rapolano Terme, Rapolla, Rivanazzano Terme, Salsomaggiore Terme, San Giuliano Terme, San Quirico d’Orcia, Sant’Omobono Terme, Stenico, Telese Terme, Termini Imerese, Tivoli and Viterbo.
• Villes d’Eaux du Massif Central (an association of spa towns in the French Massif Central): Bourbon-Lancy, Bourbon-l’Archambault, La Bourboule, Châteauneuf-les-Bains, Châtel-Guyon, Chaudes-Aigues, Cransac-les-Thermes, Évaux-les-Bains, Meyras (Neyrac-les-Bains), Le Mont-Dore, Montrond-les-Bains, Néris-les-Bains, Royat / Chamalières, Saint-Honoré-les-Bains, Saint-Laurent-les-Bains, Saint-Nectaire, Vals-les-Bains and Vichy.

Read more on DW, 26 July 2021: Great spas of Europe make UNESCO World Heritage list, The Great Spa Towns of Europe, Wikipedia Great Spa Towns of Europe, Council of Europe – European Route of Historic Thermal Towns (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.

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