Pouhon Pierre Le Grand

In the 16th century the source was mentioned in the work Des fontaines acides de la forêt d'Ardenne et principalement de celle qui se trouve à Spa by Gilbert Lymborgh, a doctor. Then there was only a small niche.

In 1717 Tsar Peter the Great stayed in the city and visited the spring. He took care of intestinal problems from June 28 to July 25 . He felt so good having done this thermal cure that he became one of the biggest promoters of thermalism in Spa , which was the birthplace of modern thermalism. He gave much of his nobility to the city of Spa at that time, and it became "the place to be".

It was in honor of his visit that the Emperor's name was given to the spring in 1820.

Later his bust was placed in the building .

The current source building was built in 1880 . It houses the Tourist Office and the famous Golden Book of Spa , a work by the painter Antoine Fontaine, 9 meters long, with a cheerful chronological disorder of 92 characters who have followed a spa in Spa (among others (obviously) Peter de Grote, Emperor Joseph II, Charles II of England, René Descartes, Leopold II, ...).
Interactive animations show the riches of the city of Spa: its prestigious past but also the current dynamism of the thermal city.

Willem Vandenameele