The Belgian town with many mineral springs – known already to the Romans – has given its name to all spas in English. In the 19th and the early years of the 20th century, it was the leading resort of its type, where aristocracy and crowned heads came to take the waters. Besides cures for the body, gambling was available, as were horse racing and later motorsports.
The current baths have a new building on top of a hill, accessible with a funicular (title picture), and the old building is being renovated for other uses (below left). One of the old water sources, ‘Pouhon Pierre Le Grand’ is these days the tourist office (below right).
After taking the waters, some of the well-to-do withdrew to the Waux Hall (named after the Vauxhall Gardens in London) for evening entertainment (above), and others went to the casino (below).
During the First World War the town was a convalescent center for German troops and Kaiser Wilhelm had his headquarters in the Hôtel Britannique (below left) in 1918. These days Spa has to do with the occasional visit of the King of the Belgians, and the usual tourists in the season. Otherwise the town maintains the air of your average Belgian small town (below right).
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