Healing Waters - The Original Spa Experience

The term Spa | Spa - /spä/  - is now used loosely to mean any place or resort designed for relaxation and renewal - but it actually comes from the town of Spå in Belgium. (Which is also happens to be the home village of famed Agatha Christie's Detective, Hercule Perot.)  

The town name means gushing spring, (possible from the Latin sparsa = scattered & gushing)* and it was named for the areas rich mineral springs.

A true Spa is specifically waters whose natural mineral make up is considered to have physical health benefits when drunk or bathed in.

Discussed in this Article

Mineral Baths in Antiquity

Spå, in the valley of the Ardennes Mtns of Belgium, was visited for the healing properties of its cold spring waters since at least 100 BCE. Known as Aquae Spadanae to the Romans it was written about by Pliny the Elder, who described it's waters as being-

The Romans had a strong communal bathing culture. In addition to city bathhouses, called thermae, (from Latin therm= heat), which were similar to later sauna traditions, they also enjoyed the natural geothermal and mineral waters outside their cities.

(This appreciation was likely inherited from the Greeks. In Greek mythology certain natural springs or tidal pools were thought to be blessed by the gods to cure disease. They built bathing facilities, or blaneum,  at the sacred pools and Temples dedicated to Gods of healing - where supplicants left offerings to the gods and then bathed.)

Both natural pools and sauna bathing traditions were an essential part of Roman civil and political life, and they spread bathhouses and the customs of mineral bathing throughout their empire, into the rest of Europe, taking advantage of the many European mineral springs, like Spå that they came across.

The most famous may be the baths in England that were so important the entire city was named for them; Bath, The Romans built a temple dedicated to the goddess, Sulis Minerva and the Aquae Sulis there, the largest and most complex of the baths from all of the far flung empire ever discovered, fed by at least three separate springs. 

You can’t bathe in the original bathe today but you can stay a a new  spa complex, Thermae Bath Spa, next to the Roman baths that are fed by the  same waters.

In fact while there are many ruins of Roman Baths scattered across their old empire you can visit, like Bath you can’t bathe in any... At least in not in Europe, but if you venture to the African side of the Mediterranean you will find one Roman bath still in daily use in Khenchela Algeria. They baths were damaged in an earthquake in the 14th century but were partially repaired and are still being used by the locals (men,) just as they were more than 2,000 years ago.

Central & Western European Spas

The spa tradition in Spå and many other European towns was kept alive in large part by monasteries after the fall of Rome; the monks preserving and promoting the health benefits of the mineral waters throughout the middle ages.

Broad spa popularity then had a resurgence, with everything else Greek & Roman, during the renaissance. It was at this time that public and private spas were opened across Europe for the upper classes, including in Spå,^ and the practice of 'taking waters' at mineral springs for your health became the basis of a Classic European Spa. Patrons both immerse themselves in the pools and drank the waters (like Pliny describes, and many a Jane Austin character has done.)

Waters can be naturally hot or cold and the mineral make-up is different in each spring, but the concept's the same. Its simple. It's mentally calming. It's physically relaxing.

Modern European spas are usually hybrids of the classic spa and the sauna style spa, and many also add services like massages and skin treatments, but the purist form of the original spa is just you, sitting in a mineral spring, hopefully enjoying some awe-inspiring scenery.

Customs concerning nudity while bathing vary from country to country. Many are combinations of "textile optional;" with areas for nudity and areas requiring swimwear, but full nudity even in mixed sex environments does happen. (Those of us from the US are not used to this, but I hope that doesn't stop you from giving it a go, spas are not sexual environments and you will see a wide variety of body types participating so there is no need for concern about being body shamed in any way.)

In Germany you can walk the Wörthbach stream, in Bad Wörishofen - the birthplace of the Kneippen  wellness movement, fathered by Sebastian Kneipp (a UNESCO recognized practice.) Germans also practice Forest Bathing in places like Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg and the Fitchel Mountains in Bayern, where one ‘bathes’ among the quiet trees and, surrenders to the calm of the forest.

In Italy you can bath outdoors in ancient grottos and in Budapest, the “city of spa” they host ‘sparties” - essentially night clubs with DJ music and alcohol all in thermal spa. 

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^The descent of the original Spå town spa, Les Thermes de Spa can be visited today, in addition to the traditional mineral waters and amazing views the also offer hammam baths, subaqua massage & peat baths.

Icelandic Lagoon Spas

The spas in Iceland are focussed on the volcanic island's geothermal waters, where fresh and ocean salt waters mingle. Unlike the cold mountain springs of Belgium, Iceland's mineral baths, bubbling springs and lagoons are naturally quite hot. The beautiful environments and stunning coastal views are key to the relaxation experience.

Soaking in these thermal pools has been practiced since the first Norwegians landed in Iceland. Their revered 13th century poet/ historian, Snorri Sturluson, created a now famous bath fed by a geothermal hot spring, Skrifla, that had been bathed in since the 10th century (and was mentioned in the Landnáma, or book of settlement, written from the time.) He named it Snorralaug, which means Snorri’s Pool, and dug a tunnel from his house to the pool so he wouldn't have to go outside to get to his private spa!^

Some spas have subterranean pools, waterfalls and natural steam baths created by the steam from the geothermal waters. These resorts can expensive and crowded though, so may want to try a dip one of the many wilderness pools and spring.

There's even a turqoise lake in the crater, Víti, of the Askja Volcano that you can bath (in after a short hike,) conditions allowing.

But you need to do your research on the safety^^ of any waters you want to swim in; the Grjotagja hot spring cave, famous for being featured in Game of Thrones, for example, in kno wn for heating up rapidly, so bathing in it is banned, and many pools contain harmful bacteria. (You can of course just ask a local where they bathe.)

Nudity is fairly common in Iceland, skinny dipping in hot-springs or local lakes wouldn't raise any eyebrows. Women are often topless even at public pools, but you still need to check with individual spas for their policy on bathing naked, as most of the large resorts require swim wear in their public pools.

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^Unfortunately, Snorralaug is not open to bathe in today because, like a lot of natural springs on the still forming island, the water temperature is so volatile it reaches scolding degrees at times without warning. 

^^Hot pots in the Westfjords and the Reykjanes peninsula are notorious for harmful bacterial life. At the end of summer, even the popular bathing spots, like Landmannalaugar and Hveravellir, can be contaminated. Pregnant women, young children, and those with vulnerable immune systems should avoid any suspect pools.

And the beaches, while beautiful, have extremely dangerous currents - they shouldn't even be approached too closely, and definitely aren't safe to swim in.

Magical Springs of the United Kingdom

The English have long utilized baths. A practice which formalized with the import of the Roman bathhouses. We’ve already mentioned one of their most famous mineral springs,  Bath, named for the baths located there, where many a Jane Austin character has traveled there to 'take waters.'

The complex there was built by the Romans, but legend speaks of the waters of Bath have being visited by ancient Britons since at least 800 BC when Prince Bladud was said to have used them to cure his leprosy. Excavations have shown evidence of the area being used from as early as 8,000 years ago, long before Roman Centurions or even Prince Bladud.

The English (Britons, Anglo-Saxons & later Normans) aren't the only people in the United Kingdom with a spa tradition, though, either inherited or original.

For the ancient Celts, water was a symbol of life, fertility, and renewal. They believed that certain bodies of water held mystical powers and could heal both body and the spirit.

In Gaelic a spa refers to a natural spring with these healing properties, (just like the original Spå.) The Irish held the springs in such high value that the country eventually named a soap after them!) and they visited springs, pools and spa wells to bathe in and drink from to cure various ailments.

Irish Spa wells, like Lisdoonvarna, don't show up in Irish writing until the seventeenth century, though, when official medicine became interested in them as spas on the Continent were becoming fashionable.

The Scottish don't have a as strong a spa tradition but they do have a history of magical waters. On the slopes of the Black Cuillin range of the Island of Skye are the famous Fairy Pools, beautiful crystal-clear, ice-cold pools.

The Fairy Pools don't claims to have healing powers but they're steeped in local folklore.

According to legend, the pools were used by fairies, one of whom was married to the chief of Clan MacLeod. And just a bit farther south on the Island of Skye is the Old Sligachan Bridge, where legend says if you submerge your face for 7 seconds and let it dry naturally you will have eternal beauty.^

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^ The legend says a fierce female warrior named Scáthach from the Isle of Skye was challenged by Ireland's own warrior, Cú Chulainn. Their battle raged for weeks, and Scáthach’s daughter was worried for her mother’s life. She ran to the Sligachan River crying and begged for the fighting to stop. The faeries in the water heard and instructed her to stick her face in the water for 7 seconds and she’d be shown a solution. The river revealed the following plan - to gather the loveliest herbs, meats and nuts of the land and prepare a perfect meal. The smell of the meal was so intensely delicious that when Cú Chulainn and Scáthach smelled it they decided to take a break to enjoy the feast.

         Because the meal was held in the home of Scáthach, Cú Chulainn officially become a guest, and a guest was compelled to do no harm to their host, thus forcing a truce.

         For some reason, in honor of Scáthach’s beauty and her tears of love that fell into the river, the faeries now grant anyone who sticks their face in Sligachan River eternal beauty.

Middle Eastern Healing Pools

Healing waters have been sought out in the Middle East for thousands of years. The Bible mentions several pools in the region believed to have healing powers, the most famous being the well of Bethesda where the sick gathered and Jesus healed a paralytic man.   (Baths and temples have both been built at the site since.)

One of the largest bodies of mineral rich waters is of course the Dead Sea between Jordan and Israel, where the salt content (as well as magnesium and potassium) are so high floating in the sea makes one feels weightless.  It’s been a destination for therapy and healing for centuries, as has the Red Sea between Israel and Egypt.  (The naturally infused waters also create incredibly mineral rich mud and sands.)

Less well known, but steeped in Judeo Christian history is the Ein Gedi Oasis, Isreal’s largest oasis with four springs, a nature reserve and lush gardens on the shores of the Dead Sea, by the fountain, Ain Jidy, from which it gets it’s name. (Hebrew Ein = eye or fountain/ spring + gedi = kid goat.)

One of the six cities bequeathed to the Tribe of Judah and mentioned for its vineyards in the Song of Songs, It also served as a sanctuary for David when he was fleeing King Saul. Destroyed and abandoned in the first Jewish rebellion in 70 AD the area was rebuilt in the 29th century and the when a kibbutz settled there, and today you can visit the  The Synergy Spa in the kibbutz for a variety of dead sea themed treatments.

Japanese Onsen, Sento, Ryoken & Ofuru

Like Iceland, Japan is volcanic and full of geothermal baths, which they call Onsen; some on mountains 2000 feet above sea level, others deep inside the mountains, or gushing out of rocks, caves and sand (known as sand baths.) They are an essential feature of it Japanese spa culture.

The country has a reputation for extreme cleanliness from its adherence to strong daily bathing rituals. An evening bath is an integral part of the Japanese life, and before plumbing those baths were taken at the local onsen, regarded as a places of physical and mental rehabilitation, not just hygene.

The waters are classified by temperature, pH level and mineral content, and vary greatly in color; iron rich springs being reddish-orange, alkalines sometimes bright green, and Japanese doctors often prescribe time in the therapeutic pools.

In the 8th century, as Chinese Buddhism spread in Japan, Buddhist purification rituals also spread and Ryokan, (traditional inns, often built around a thermal spring) started to be used for the daily bathing rituals. (Though visits directly to onsens stayed popular, too.)

Originally men and women bathed in the nude and together, until the 1850's when Western influences imported Victorian values to the Empire and a trend of ryokan segregated by gender began. (Mixed bathing is still practiced in more remote areas.)

Today, some homes have dedicated areas for a daily soak but the lack of space in the highly populated, yet very small country means many apartments do not have room for even a shower, so sento and ryokan are widely used by all.

There are over 8000 ryoken in Japan, most of which have been passed down in the family for generations. They are often situated in beautiful natural landscapes.

Guests are met by bowing woman and shown to a simple room with tatami mats where they are served green tea with a sweet cake or rice cracker. They then remove their clothes and put on cotton kimono-style dress called a yukata and wooden clogs called geta. (Every ryokan has their own signature yukata.)

The bath in the ryokan, (usually in the basement or first floor) is called the Ofuro. At all hours of the day and night, bathers sit on bath-stools (washing while standing is considered rude) while they lather up with green-tea- soap and natural brushes, then rinse with water from cypress buckets.

Once clean bathers can join the communal tubs where there are a selection of varying temperatures. Bathers are meant to move from pool to pool to keep the body continually rejuvenating. Some ryokan offer amenities like Shiatsu massage or the centuries old Ganban-yoku treatment, literally stone bed of a heated granite, black silica that bathers lay on. The modern treatment is combined with infrared radiation.

If you aren't staying at a ryoken you can also visit the Sento, (public bathhouses.)

The first record of a public bath in Tokyo is from 1591, called an Edo at the time. The bathing tradition was so influential that the next 250+ years in Japan were referred to as the Edo Period.

Their are three basic syles of sento. First the traditional neighborhood sento, which are often traditional Japanese architecture, high ceilings and tiled with murals of Mt. Fuji or other mountain scenes on the walls.

Then there are super sento, or spa complexes, modern adaptations that include other spa amenities like massage, similar to Korean Jjimjilbang Spas, you can actually spend the night at some Japanese sentos that are open 24 hours.

Thirdly there are the urban Onsen Sento which use the waters from an onsen hot spring, but are not built at the Onsen site.

In addition to traditional baths, some spas offer specialized treatments like Yuzu fruit baths, where the citrus fruits' essential oils, released by the hot water, promote relaxation. Or a Sake bath of warm water and the Japanese rice wine, sake.

Less relaxing is the Japanese purification practice of Misogi which is immersing in a cold water bath or standing beneath a waterfall to purify the body & mind, and confront fears, doubts, & weaknesses.

Some Japanese customs of note that Westerners need to be aware of:

• Some spas don't allow bathers with tattoos (because tattoos are associated with organized crime in Japan)

• Some facilities only have one bath, so you need to check which hours are for men and which hours are for women.

• Long hair must be tied up, since it's rude for hair to touch the bathwater.

Indonesia & the South Pacific Pools

The many volcanic island chains in the South Pacific are littered in geothermal pools in lush tropical jungle landscapes, and nestled between rice paddies and Hindu temples.

Perhaps the best known spa destination of the region is Bali, Indonesia, famous for Balinese flowers baths.

Found mostly in hotels and resorts now, the traditional practice was used as a healing ritual, were the bather soaks in a tub of flower petals and natural oils.

But a mountain climb and horse & cart ride will also get you a more exotic spa experience - the sulpher waters of the sacred Banjar Hot Springs, which pour out from the stone mouths of carved naga  (mythical dragons) in a pool surrounded by gardens.

I don't frequent purely classic spa resorts often, mostly because they are just too pricey for my travel budget when I can just take a good bubble bath. But when I come across one in the wild (read free), or in an amazing natural landscape and/or offering a new cultural experience they are worth saving up for!

I'm pretty cold blooded so I prefer the hot springs over the cold. How about you? Have you tried any of these far off spa destinations? Tell me about your favorites in the comments.

*sometimes incorrectly believed to be an acronym attributed to such phrases as the Latin “sanitas per aquam” which means “health through water” - but these connections were made after the existence of the Belgium town name - (when this happens it's sometimes called a backronym)

**There are two classifications of well water, chalybeate, when the water contains iron salts, sulphurous, in which the salts are sulphates. The chalybeate when drunk in large quantities, would probably have helped to correct an iron deficiency anaemia. And sulphates like magnesium or sodium sulphate likely would have helped anyone suffering from constipation (as the diet of the wealthy often caused in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries)