Water—an element of purification and healing—has always been at the heart of humanity’s quest for health, rejuvenation, and spiritual tranquility. Reverence for water and belief in its therapeutic properties are entwined with early religious practices and healing rituals. In ancient Greece, water was considered sacred, especially when it sprang from the earth—a symbol of fertility and purification. At the Asclepieia, such as the one in Epidaurus, the use of abundant spring waters was integral to the healing process. The Romans later turned this practice into a daily habit: public baths (thermae) became centers of social life where hygiene, politics, and philosophy converged. Balneotherapy spread across the Roman Empire, from Britain to Syria, and many of today’s spas in Europe and the Middle East were built on this foundation.
Across the globe, natural thermal springs—whether public, undeveloped, or incorporated into private wellness resorts—serve as sanctuaries for body and soul. Their revival began during the Renaissance, when nobles and intellectuals once again turned to nature for healing. European spa towns like Baden-Baden in Germany, Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, and of course Montecatini Terme in Italy, embody the philosophy of bathing as a cultural experience.
“Karlovy Vary, in the Czech Republic’s Teplá River Valley, is one of Europe’s most renowned and historic spa destinations, with centuries of tradition in hydrotherapy. Its 80 springs reach temperatures of up to 74°C.”
Montecatini Terme: Tuscan Elegance and Luxury
Among the finest examples of combining cosmopolitan flair with private wellness culture is Montecatini Terme, nestled in Tuscany. Since Roman times, this area has paired natural therapy with social life. The Romans perfected the art of hydrotherapy alongside architectural mastery, creating classical Roman bathhouses with hot, cold, and warm waters (calidarium, frigidarium, tepidarium). Montecatini’s 11 springs gush from depths of 60–80 meters, rich in minerals and with temperatures ranging from 24°C to 33.4°C.
Montecatini Terme’s rise peaked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming a favored meeting place for European aristocracy. Throughout the 20th century, it evolved into a glamorous resort attracting figures like Coco Chanel and Truman Capote. Surrounded by the rolling hills of Valdinievole, the town boasts a charming historic center with art nouveau architecture. Leopold II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and Grand Duke of Tuscany, transformed the town into a coveted wellness destination. He commissioned the lavish Bagno Regio (1773), Terme Leopoldine (1775), and Terme Tettuccio (1779), along with advanced water management and swamp drainage systems.
The iconic Terme Tettuccio—with its marble façade, imposing columns, and elaborate frescoes—stands as a temple to both ancient Greek purification and Italian dolce vita. Visitors often attend one of the two daily water tastings, sipping salty spring water in ornate surroundings. Nearby, the Redi thermal center and luxurious Grotta Giusti spa offer modern treatments rooted in Tuscany’s geothermal activity, including steam baths in natural caves.
Abano Terme: Spa Traditions and Guinness Records in Veneto
Relaxation in an indoor pool with hydromassage, at a hotel in Abano Terme in Northern Italy.
Further north, the Veneto region is home to Abano Terme, one of Europe’s premier thermal spring areas. At the historic Hotel Terme Venezia, visitors enjoy treatments with therapeutic mud and warm mineral waters. The resort also hosts Y-40 The Deep Joy, the world’s deepest thermal pool at 42.15 meters, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Designed by architect Emanuele Boaretto, its mineral-rich waters promote detoxification and relief from musculoskeletal conditions.
Swiss Excellence
Switzerland is renowned for luxury hotels that blend natural hot springs with world-class wellness services. One standout is 7132 Hotel, an architectural masterpiece designed in the 1990s by award-winning architect Peter Zumthor. Made from 60,000 slabs of local quartzite, the spa draws 30°C water from the nearby St. Peter spring. Located in the famed Vals hot springs of the Grisons canton—home of Valser mineral water—this destination was developed in the 1960s by German real estate developer Karl Kurt Vorlop. The hotel’s top floor houses three penthouse suites by acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
The Tamina Therme at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz spans 8,000 square meters, offering indoor and outdoor pools surrounded by sculpted rock formations, and panoramic views of snow-covered Alps.
The impressive Tamina Therme, at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, offers access to thermal waters at a temperature of 36.5°C.
Spa Culture in Aristocratic Baden-Baden
Bathing as a cultural symbol thrives in cities like Budapest, where Gellért and Széchenyi Baths fuse Ottoman design with art nouveau. Similarly, Baden-Baden, nestled in Germany’s Black Forest and built on Roman-era hot springs, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. It features the Caracalla Therme (not to be confused with Rome’s) and the Roman-Irish spa Friedrichsbad, as well as high-end hotels that integrate aesthetic medicine with private access to thermal baths. Among them is the Radisson Blu Badischer Hof Hotel, housed in a 19th-century monastery and currently under major renovation, set to reopen in 2030. The hotel has its own thermal spring and includes indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, and a steam room.
Karlovy Vary: 80 Springs and a Touch of 007
Karlovy Vary, in the Teplá River Valley of the Czech Republic, boasts 80 hot springs reaching temperatures up to 74°C. Primarily used for drinking cures, these waters also support various forms of hydrotherapy including baths and inhalations.
For centuries, this Bohemian town has drawn writers and artists seeking renewal. A historic jewel is the Grandhotel Pupp, featured in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006). Founded in 1701 and purchased by former confectioner Johann Georg Pupp, it has hosted guests like Goethe, Bach, and Wagner. Nationalized after WWII and renamed Grandhotel Moskva, it returned to private ownership and its original name in 1989. With 228 luxurious rooms and a spa offering over 30 treatments, the hotel remains a symbol of historic elegance.
Edipsos: A Timeless Greek Spa Tradition
In Greece, thermal springs have been part of healing since antiquity. Edipsos, on the island of Evia, remains a top wellness destination. Its waters, rich in trace minerals and reaching 80°C, gush from deep underground. The Thermae Sylla Spa & Wellness Hotel, founded in 1897 and ranked among the world’s top 10 thermal spas by Condé Nast Traveler, seamlessly blends historic heritage with modern luxury. Built atop a natural spring, it features private indoor and outdoor pools fed directly from the source.
Onsen & Ryokan in Japan
Beyond Europe, hot spring culture flourishes worldwide. In Asia, water-based healing carries deep spiritual meaning. In Japan—a land of volcanic activity and refined culture—thousands of hot springs, or onsen, are a core part of daily life and philosophy.
Whether in sleek modern bathhouses or open-air pools nestled in traditional gardens, onsen offer spaces for detoxification and reflection. Coastal Beppu and mountainous Hakone are dotted with private ryokan (traditional inns) featuring natural thermal pools.
Just 90 minutes from Tokyo, Hakone—within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park—is famed for its hot springs and scenic views of Mount Fuji. The Kanaya Hotel, a forest retreat affiliated with the historic Kinugawa Kanaya Hotel, is a peaceful haven for politicians, entrepreneurs, and thinkers.
The Kanaya Hotel in Hakone, Japan, is located in an area renowned for its hot springs, just 90 minutes from Tokyo.
An Explosive Adventure at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
Iceland, a geothermal island of volcanic energy, is home to the legendary Blue Lagoon, about 50 km southwest of Reykjavík. This manmade lake, formed in the 1970s and open to the public since the 1980s, combines nature’s raw power with high-tech luxury.
Infused with silica and minerals that give the water its milky-blue hue, the lagoon maintains a steady 38°C. Set in a lava field with steaming mists and lunar landscapes, it offers treatments with white silica mud and algae. Two resorts—Silica Hotel and The Retreat—provide accommodation, with the latter offering private access to a secluded part of the lagoon. Guests can even pair their therapy with the Northern Lights, when conditions allow. However, recent seismic and volcanic activity has led to periodic evacuations in the area.
The geothermal Blue Lagoon in Iceland combines the power of nature with advanced technology and luxury.
Hot Springs and Meditation Overlooking the Pacific
In the United States, Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, offers natural hot springs and sweeping Pacific views. More than a wellness center, it’s a spiritual retreat focused on inner exploration. Visitors attend multi-day workshops on yoga, meditation, Gestalt therapy, ecopsychology, and creative expression.
Accommodations are simple to encourage digital detox, fostering a deeper connection with nature. Operating since the early 1960s, Esalen has been a hub for alternative thought, promoting the integration of spirituality, psychology, and social action.
In today’s world, the rise of wellness tourism has revived interest in holistic healing. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the thermal therapy sector has become a multibillion-dollar industry, with growing demand for experiences that merge local culture, medicine, and spirituality.
From aesthetic pleasure to medical relief, thermal springs continue to inspire. People still turn to the element that first signaled life on Earth: water. Through it, they rediscover parts of themselves. Hydrotherapy remains a living cultural and biological memory.
