Mineral spas are spa resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral springs. Like seaside resorts, they are mainly used recreationally although they also figured prominently in prescientific medicine.
Origins
Spas were used for millennia for their purported healing or healthful benefits to those wealthy or close enough to partake of their waters. This was called a mineral cure and gave let to phrases such as taking a cure and taking the waters. There has always been a mixture of recreational and medicinal connotations involved, from rest and relaxation, stress relief, and convalescence to more specific notions such as humorism. These phrases are sometimes used as a euphemism for one trying to kick a drug dependency.
In many cases, mineral spas were located in mountainous locales that gave an additional excuse to leave the drudgery of a hot house in warm weather during summer's onset and were seasonally populated by the well-to-do. They eventually became early vacation spots with the counter-Victorian work ethic 'rationale' of health as an excuse to have fun and mix with one's peers in recreation.
Subsequently, many became the seed stock for today's modern vacation resorts. Locations such as Steamboat Springs, Vail, St Moritz, Mineral Wells first became popular for the questionable health benefits of mineral or soda-water soaks, ingestion, and clean outs during the hey-day of patent medicines and backward medical knowledge. United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suffered a paralytic illness, and regularly visited Warm Springs and other hot springs for restorative soaks. While his cousin Theodore Roosevelt was known as a physically active and healthy person, he had asthma and used physical activity as well as occasional visits to mineral spas as attempts to address his asthma.
The name "spa" comes from the Belgian town Spa.
Evolution of the resort
As the Victoria era ended, the influences of the industrial revolution created more and more varied members of the upper middle class. The concepts of vacationing, tourism, and travel became less the property of the old monied classes and more shared by an increasing population base of those who could afford holiday trips, like the rich.
Such adventures had much allure before any audio-visual entertainment outside a live orchestra. Thus, the spas began attracting more local patrons and those from afar when the burgeoning numbers could take advantage of the automobile and the now extensive railways throughout most of Europe and the United States.
The spa towns already had infrastructure and attractions to assuage such desires, and the modern tourist trip began to take its familiar form. Other technologies came into play (skis, ski boats, etc.)
Notable mineral spa and spring areas
Africa
South Africa Caledon, Western Cape Tshipise, Limpopo Bela Bela, Limpopo Badplaas, Mpumalanga
Asia
China Anshan, Liaoning
India Vajreshwari Temple, Maharashtra
Japan Beppu, Ōita Gero, Gifu
South Korea Yuseong-gu, Daejeon
Turkey Pamukkale, Denizli Province
Europe
Albania
Spa, Peshkopi
Armenia
Arzni Bjni Hankavan Jermuk
Austria Bad Fischau-Brunn
Azerbaijan
İstisu, Kalbajar
Belgium Spa (municipality)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slatina
Bulgaria Bankya Banya, Plovdiv Province Dobrinishte Hisarya Kyustendil Narechen Pavel Banya Sandanski Sapareva Banya Varshets Velingrad
Czech Republic Karlovy Vary Luhačovice Mariánské Lázně
France Aix-les-Bains Dax Évian-les-Bains Tercis-les-Bains Vichy
Georgia Borjomi
Germany Baden-Baden Bad Neuenahr Wiesbaden
Hungary Budapest Hévíz
Poland Ciechocinek Krynica-Zdrój Nałęczów
Romania Baile Felix Baile Govora Baile Herculane Baile Tusnad Vatra Dornei
Russia Belokurikha, Altai Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Svetlogorsk, Kaliningrad Oblast , Karelia Goryachy Klyuch, Krasnodar Krai Yeysk, Krasnodar Krai Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast Kislovodsk, Stavropol Krai Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai Yessentuki, Stavropol Krai Zheleznovodsk, Stavropol Krai
Serbia Bukovička Banja Vrnjačka Banja
Slovakia Korytnica kúpele Piešťany Trenčianske Teplice Turčianske Teplice
Slovenia Radenci
Spain A Toxa Caldes de Malavella Lanjarón Panticosa Zestoa
Sweden
Ramlösa hälsobrunn
Switzerland Saint-Moritz
United Kingdom
England Askern Bath Boston Spa Buxton Cheltenham Church Stretton Dorton Spa Droitwich Spa Epsom Harrogate Ilkley Knaresborough Malvern Matlock Matlock Bath Royal Leamington Spa Royal Tunbridge Wells Scarborough; see also The Spa, Scarborough Shap Shearsby Tenbury Wells Woodhall Spa
Ukraine Yalta
Americas
Brazil Caxambu
Canada Harrison Hot Springs
Costa Rica Tabacón
Jamaica Milk River Bath, Clarendon
Mexico Agua Hedionda
Uruguay Termas del Arapey
United States Desert Hot Springs, California French Lick, Indiana Eureka Springs, Arkansas Hot Lake, Oregon Hot Springs, Arkansas Mineral Wells, Texas Mount Clemens, Michigan Poland Spring, Maine Saratoga Springs, New York Sharon Springs, New York Steamboat Springs, Colorado Warm Springs, Georgia Warm Springs, Virginia Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Waukesha, Wisconsin
Oceania and Australia
Australia Hepburn Springs Daylesford Peninsula Hot Springs, Victoria
New Zealand Hanmer Springs Rotorua
References