Spa Things to Do

Close by is the Pouhon Prince de Condé. The well is from the same stream as the Pierre-le-Grand. It was discovered by the pharmacist Schaltin in 1863 in his cellar. It is called after the house it was discovered in. The pharmacist sold it himself, untill the end of the last century 50.000 bottles were sold here. In 1903 the city of Spa bought the well.

The old building from 1774 is now made larger with a very modern glass pyramid from 1988. Decide for yourself which you like better.

One of the oldest known wells in the area. It was already mentioned by Plinius (23-79 AD)in his famous book Naturalis Historiae. In the middle ages doctors recommended this well. But it was not more than a well untill Peter the Great put a black marble remembrance plaque behind the well in 1717. In thanks of his good feeling after a treathment here in the baths of Spa. Therefor the well is called Pierre-le-Grand (Peter the Great). The well is located at 250 meters above sealevel and the water comes from 18 meter deep.

The building you see today is by architect Victor Besne and dates back to 1880.
The well is giving 11.000 liter a day and has a lot of iron and carbonic acid.

The building is open to the public:
in season (april to october):
every day 10 - 12 and 13.30 - 17
rest of the year:
workingdays: 13.30 - 17
weekends: 10 -12 and 13.30 -17.

Around the corner of the Pouhon Pierre le Grand (Source of Peter the Great) one finds a fountain and a curved wall in which memorialplates have names of all famous people that ever have been treated in Spa. Among them various royalties, high ranking military men (WW II), politicians, as well as actors, famous musicians, artists and scientists. So, if you will take a cure here ... maybe ask if the want to put your name there as well (-:

A building that is luckely showing no signs of bad management is the Saint remacle. It is a really beautiful grey-stone romanic basilica that is standing proudly in the centre of town. With it's two tall towers and high facade it is a impressive work of architecture from seen the square in front of it. Inside it holds a large organ and some wonderful glass-in-led windows, spraying the light inside in wonderful colours. The churches large mid "ship" is crowned with a third tower, marking the crosses connectingpoint (all basilica are built in the shape of a cross).

Across the street and a little further from the "Bains", the bath house, there should have been a wonderful green oasis, called the Park of the Seventh Hour. Sadly enough we met a kind of garbage-belt combined with a constructionsite. It's a shame how the park is now presented and one should be aware that this will at least take another year (the garbage maybe even longer as it has to do with a re-raising of the people that throw everything on the ground in stead of in the buckets).
The constructionsite is for a new hotel that will have a steep tramway up the mountain on top of which a new bathingresort will appear in due time. The project looks promissing, except the tole it asks from the surroundings now is really high.

Isn't it typical that almost all famous Spa's in the world also have a large and exclusive Casino. Obviously rich and famous people always have to find a way to throw more money around then necessary (-: The casino in Spa is situated immediately next to the "Bains", the bathing house seperated from it with a little green park in which wonderful fountains spout streams of water. No ... it's not mineral water!

One of the most famous visitors to Spa was tsar Peter the Great of Russia. He came for treatment of his indigestive system and took water from various wells during a certain period. The curing programm eventually helped and in his gratitude he offered the town a statue of himself (how modest (-: ). Anyway, the source that he used mostly is after that named after him and is in the centre of the town. Here too the building is in poor shape, but inside the source is still giving the same water that this great emperor drunk centuries ago and his statue is looking over those who use it now-a-days.

In the centre of Spa the bathhouse might be called the centre of history. This neo-classic palace-like building immediately jumps in the eye and here is where the famous treatments can be followed. As well now-a-days in many modern variants in and around Spa. The old bath house is in these days the place where still the wealthy enjoy their most exclusive health treatments and therefor the interior is also not open to public. Though the building has many signs of deterioration, the main facade still shows the old glamour and with some fantasy one can see what kind of magnificent building it could be.