Mineral spa

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This article is about a spring with health benefits. For other uses, see Spa
(disambiguation).

Spa Luhacovice in Czech Republic (Hotel built by Du�an Jurkovic).

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Mineral spas are spa resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral springs.
Like seaside resorts, they are mainly used recreationally although they also
figured prominently in prescientific medicine.

Contents
1 Origins
2 Evolution of the resort
3 Notable mineral spa and spring areas
3.1 Africa
3.1.1 South Africa
3.2 Asia
3.2.1 China
3.2.2 India
3.2.3 Japan
3.2.4 South Korea
3.2.5 Turkey
3.3 Europe
3.3.1 Albania
3.3.2 Austria
3.3.3 Azerbaijan
3.3.4 Belgium
3.3.5 Bosnia and Herzegovina
3.3.6 Bulgaria
3.3.7 Czech Republic
3.3.8 France
3.3.9 Georgia
3.3.10 Germany
3.3.11 Hungary
3.3.12 Poland
3.3.13 Romania
3.3.14 Russia
3.3.15 Serbia
3.3.16 Slovakia
3.3.17 Slovenia
3.3.18 Spain
3.3.19 Sweden
3.3.20 Switzerland
3.3.21 United Kingdom
3.3.21.1 England
3.3.22 Ukraine
3.4 Americas
3.4.1 Brazil
3.4.2 Canada
3.4.3 Costa Rica
3.4.4 Jamaica
3.4.5 Mexico
3.4.6 Uruguay
3.4.7 United States
3.5 Oceania and Australia
3.5.1 Australia
3.5.2 New Zealand
4 References
Origins

The walls of the Roman spa town Hisarya (Bulgaria).

Spas were used for millennia for their purported healing or healthful benefits to
those wealthy enough or close enough to partake of their waters. This was called a
mineral cure and gave let to such phrases as taking a cure and taking the waters.
There has always been a mixture of recreational and medicinal connotations
involved, from rest and relaxation, stress relief, and convalescence to more
specific notions such as humorism. These phrases are still sometimes used today as
a euphemism for one trying to kick a drug dependency.

In many cases, mineral spas were located in mountainous locales that gave an
additional excuse to leave the drudgery of a hot house in warm weather during
summer's onset and were seasonally populated by the well-to-do. They eventually
became early vacation spots with the counter-Victorian work ethic 'rationale' of
health as an excuse to have fun and mix with one's peers in recreation.

Subsequently, many such became the seed stock for today's modern vacation resorts.
Locations such as Steamboat Springs, Vail, St Moritz, Mineral Wells first became
popular for the questionable health benefits of mineral or soda-water soaks,
ingestion, and clean outs during the hey-day of patent medicines and backward
medical knowledge. United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suffered a
paralytic illness, and regularly visited Warm Springs and other hot springs for
restorative soaks. While his cousin Theodore Roosevelt became known as a manly-man
of incredible endurance, he was a sickly child suffering from asthma and 'took
cures' periodically in an attempt to gain better health.

The name "spa" comes from the Belgian town Spa.

Evolution of the resort

As the Victoria era came to an end, the influences of the industrial revolution
created more and more varied members of the upper middle class. The concepts of
vacationing, tourism, and travel became less the property of the old monied
classes, and shared by an increasing population base of those who could afford
holiday trips like the rich.

Such adventures had much allure in the days before any audio-visual entertainments
outside a live orchestra. Thus, the spas began attracting an increasing number of
local patrons as well as those from afar just at the time when the burgeoning
numbers were able to take advantage of the automobile and the now extensive
railways throughout most all of Europe and the United States.

The spa towns already had infrastructure and attractions in place to assuage such
desires, and the modern tourist trip began to take its familiar form. Other
technologies came into play (skis, ski boats, etc.)

Notable mineral spa and spring areas

Main articles: Spa towns and List of spa towns
Africa

Slides and pools in the hot springs camp in Bela-Bela (South Africa).
South Africa
Caledon, Western Cape
Tshipise, Limpopo
Bela Bela, Limpopo
Badplaas, Mpumalanga
Asia

Hot springs of Pamukkale (Turkey).

China
Anshan, Liaoning
India
Vajreshwari Temple, Maharashtra

Japan
Beppu, Oita
Gero, Gifu
South Korea
Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
Turkey
Pamukkale, Denizli Province
Europe

Spa (in Belgium), the water city.

The Napoleon Spa in Pie�tany (Slovakia).

Thermal Badehaus und Kurhaus in Bad Neuenahr (Germany).

Albania
Spa, Peshkopi
Austria
Bad Fischau-Brunn
Azerbaijan
Istisu, Kalbajar
Belgium
Spa (municipality)

The Slatina Spa in Slatina, Republic of Srpska, BiH

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slatina
Bulgaria
Bankya
Banya, Plovdiv Province
Dobrinishte
Hisarya
Kyustendil
Narechen
Pavel Banya
Sandanski
Sapareva Banya
Varshets
Velingrad
Czech Republic
Karlovy Vary
Luhacovice
Mari�nsk� L�zne
France
Aix-les-Bains
Dax
�vian-les-Bains
Tercis-les-Bains
Vichy
Georgia
Borjomi
Germany
Baden-Baden
Bad Neuenahr
Wiesbaden
Hungary
Budapest
H�v�z
Poland
Ciechocinek
Krynica-Zdr�j
Nalecz�w
Romania
Baile Felix
Baile Govora
Baile Herculane
Baile Tusnad
Vatra Dornei
Russia
Belokurikha, Altai
Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad Oblast
Martsialnye Vody [ru], Karelia
Goryachy Klyuch, Krasnodar Krai
Yeysk, Krasnodar Krai
Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast
Kislovodsk, Stavropol Krai
Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai
Yessentuki, Stavropol Krai
Zheleznovodsk, Stavropol Krai
Serbia
Bukovicka Banja
Vrnjacka Banja
Slovakia
Korytnica k�pele
Pie�tany
Trencianske Teplice
Slovenia
Radenci
Spain
A Toxa
Caldes de Malavella
Lanjar�n
Panticosa
Zestoa
Sweden
Raml�sa h�lsobrunn
Switzerland
Saint-Moritz
United Kingdom
Main article: List of spa towns in the United Kingdom
England
Askern
Bath
Boston Spa
Buxton
Cheltenham
Church Stretton
Dorton Spa
Droitwich Spa
Epsom
Harrogate
Ilkley
Knaresborough
Malvern
Matlock
Matlock Bath
Royal Leamington Spa
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Scarborough; see also The Spa, Scarborough
Shap
Shearsby
Tenbury Wells
Woodhall Spa
Ukraine
Yalta
Americas

Milk River Bath (Jamaica).

Warm Springs, Virginia (U.S.).

Brazil
Caxambu
Canada
Harrison Hot Springs
Costa Rica
Tabac�n
Jamaica
Milk River Bath, Clarendon
Mexico
Agua Hedionda
Uruguay
Termas del Arapey
United States
Desert Hot Springs, California
French Lick, Indiana
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Mineral Wells, Texas
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Poland Spring, Maine
Saratoga Springs, New York
Sharon Springs, New York
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Warm Springs, Georgia
Warm Springs, Virginia
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Oceania and Australia
Australia
Hepburn Springs
Daylesford
Peninsula Hot Springs, Victoria
New Zealand
Hanmer Springs
Rotorua
References
Categories: Outdoor recreationBalneotherapySpasHydrotherapySpa towns
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