Ferrous colors of spring mineral water in center of Spa historic town

On the side of Spa surrounding hills, there are many drinking fountains everywhere, like here near the funicular cable station leading to Les Thermes establishment

Browse the collection : Spa, the Pearl of the Belgian Ardennes

Valued for its allegedly healing properties, water from Spa began to be bottled and sold in 1583. The mineral water springs also attracted those seeking therapeutic baths, leading to ‘spa’ becoming a general term for facilities dedicated to thermalism.

(The Bulletin)

Several sources and springs, known locally as the Pouhouns can be found in the town itself and the surrounding hills. Waters are not identical,and vary in composition and chracteristics: some are sparkling,some iron-rich, others slightly mineralised. The pouhouns are always accessible to visitors, each of them useful to treat different conditions. Although Spa’s modern water therapies does not include drinking them anymore, curiosity is just a pretext as legitimate as any other, and many visitors still sample them. Spa is also best-known for its bottled waters, exported worldwide.

(Historic Thermal Towns)

Its carbonated waters were ideally suited to drinking and have been widely distributed across Europe ever since, leading to the introduction of the name “spa” in the English vocabulary. Since the early eighteenth century, Spa’s many springs, located on a wooded hillside south of the town were used for both crenotherapy and physical activity, with a network of walks linking the various springs and connecting them to the town.

(Great Spa Towns of Europe)