| Whs: | The Great Spa Towns of Europe |
| Location: | Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom |
| Includes: | Eleven spa towns in Europe |
| Criteria: | Cultural: (ii)(iii) |
| Id: | 1613 |
| Session: | 44th |
| Year: | 2021 |
| Area: | 7014ha |
| Buffer Zone: | 11319ha |
The Great Spa Towns of Europe is a transnational World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of 11 spa towns across seven European countries. They were developed around natural mineral water springs.[1] [2] From the early 18th century to the 1930s, Western Europe experienced an increase in spa and bathing culture, leading to the construction of elaborate bath houses.[1] These would often include gardens, casinos, theatres, and villas surrounding the springs and the bath houses.[1] [3]
The city of Bath was originally inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1987.[4]
The efforts to get the Great Spas of Europe onto the World Heritage List began in 2012, and the nomination was submitted in 2019.[5] On 24 July 2021, the Great Spas of Europe was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.[2]
| Town | Country | ID[6] | Picture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baden bei Wien | 1613-001 | |||
| Spa | 1613-002 | |||
| Františkovy Lázně | 1613-003 | |||
| Karlovy Vary | 1613-004 | |||
| Mariánské Lázně | 1613-005 | |||
| Vichy | 1613-006 | |||
| Bad Ems | 1613-007 | |||
| Baden-Baden | 1613-008 | |||
| Bad Kissingen | 1613-009 | |||
| Montecatini Terme | 1613-010 | |||
| Bath | 1613-011 |