If you’re a fan of incorporating a little wellness into your travel plans, listen up. 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the UNESCO-listed Great Spa Towns of Europe, and events across the continent are taking place to celebrate the occasion.
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The Great Spa Towns, each originally inscribed as UNESCO-listed destinations in July 2021, includes 11 different places across Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy and the UK.
They’ve been recognised as proponents of the eighteenth-twentieth century European Spa Phenomenon, when thermal spa towns initially emerged as a new kind of wellness tourism and triggered a wave of architectural design, as well as political and social change.
What is the European Spa Phenomenon?
The European Spa Phenomenon marked an era when people started ‘taking the cure’. These spaces were not only for people to bathe, swim, indulge in water (or mud) treatments, but were designed to be leisurely and relaxing spaces to live, be it through soaking up arts and culture or simply walking around.
But the main reason these particular spa towns are recognised as such vital cultural hubs is because they still largely operate in the same way. Below is a list of each one designated as a member of The Great Spa Towns of Europe.
- Bath, United Kingdom
- Baden bei Wien, Austria
- Spa, Belgium
- Karlovy Vary, Czechia
- Mariánské Lázně, Czechia
- Františkovy Lázně, Czechia
- Vichy, France
- Baden-Baden, Germany
- Bad Ems, Germany
- Bad Kissingen, Germany
- Montecatini Terme, Italy
Where are these events taking place?
Fancy film screenings, concerts, and even guided tours? Head to Baden-Baden in Germany. Here, a world heritage weekend is taking place from June 5-7, and along with the recurring annual Tango im Wandelgang, talks and tours will be held all over the own, including at the theatre and casino.
The aptly-named town of Spa in Belgium (which is where our English-language word for the venue comes from) is hosting one massive pop-up exhibition. Thirteen large panels have been installed across Spa and they showcase all the towns which have been recognised.
Oh, and if you’re up for a twinkly Festival of Lights, that’s precisely what will be held in Karlovy Vary in Czechia on September 11-12. The displays are based on six different elements of spa culture, from spa architecture to spa infrastructure, and it’s set to be quite the spectacle.
There’s plenty more where that came from – read all about each of the Great Spa Towns of Europe on the official website.
🧖♀️ Have a read of ’s guide to the most underrated spa breaks in Europe this year.
Did you see that one of Europe’s longest train routes will launch this month, connecting multiple major cities?
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