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The ancient thermal baths of Spa, also called ancient thermal establishment of Spa or Spa baths are a building located in the centre of the city of Spa in the province of Liège (Belgium). They belong to the list of Wallonia's exceptional building heritage since the 6th of October 2016

Location
The ancient thermal baths are located in the center of Spa. The façade is visible from the Rue Royale. Rue de la Poste, Rue Servais and Rue Léopold surround the building.

History
These thermal baths are actually the third ones to be built in the city of Spa.

A first public thermal establishment had been built in 1828 where the town hall now stands.

In 1841, a second building was built in Place Royale, on the site of the former hôtel des Tuileries and of the current pavilion of the tourism house located at the end of the Leopold II Gallery, at the entrance of the park of Sept Heures. An average of 6,000 baths were taken there every year.

Under the impetus of Mayor Servais, the third thermal baths were inaugurated on 15 August 1868 on the Lezaack meadows. It was a first class hydrotherapy complex which cost the very important sum for the time of 1,500,000 Belgian francs or 32,122£. These thermal baths welcomed up to 167,182 thermal operations per year (in 1967).

After 135 years of operation, these thermal baths closed their doors in 2003. They have been replaced by a modern building (the fourth thermal baths) on Annette et Lubin's hill. These new thermal baths are connected by funicular to the city centre.

Despite some problems due to the presence of merula,  merula ,the thermal baths dating from 1868 should be converted into a luxury hotel residence in order to protect this key building of Spa's thermalism, which has been on UNESCO's tentative list of Europe's great spa towns since 2014.

Description
This imposing two-storey building was built in the French neo-Renaissance style to the designs of the architect Léon Suys.

Originally, the building had 52 bathing cubicles with 54 bathtubs, 2 large high-pressure shower rooms, 2 large ordinary and hydrotherapy shower rooms with a plunge pool, 2 hydrotherapy rooms, 2 rooms for circular showers, sitz showers and running water footbaths as well as 2 plunges. Subsequently, numerous modifications were made in order to modernise the establishment.

Charles-Henri Thorelle was commissioned to cut and carve the French stone. The statues on the façade and sides are the work of Jacques Van Omberg and the Van Den Kerkhove brothers. The entrance hall and the rest rooms were decorated by the painter Carpey.

The interior (courtyard) and exterior facades, as well as the entrance porch and the entrance hall, are included in the list of classified real estate heritage of Spa and are part of the list of exceptional real estate heritage of Wallonia. The thermal baths cannot be visited.

related articles

 * Liste du patrimoine immobilier exceptionnel de la Wallonie
 * Galerie Léopold II
 * Casino de Spa

Sources and external links

 * http://www.sparealites.be/les-thermes-passe-du-thermalisme-spadois