Bains de Spa

In the 19th century Spa was economically viable and a new large, monumental bathhouse was inevitable. Under the impulse of the then mayor of Spa, Joseph Servais, the architect Leon Suys was commissioned in 1862 to design a third bathhouse . The building was to become the most advanced hydrotherapy center of its time. The grand opening followed on 15 August 1868 in the presence of King Leopold II . The thermal baths were a great success and were visited by numerous dignitaries.

The number of guests increased systematically in the economically successful Belle Epoque : the middle class could now also afford health treatments in the thermal baths of Spa. In 1905 the infrastructure was modernized for the first time. The wars brought activities to a halt, but visitor numbers quickly recovered.

After the Second World War, social spa tourism emerged. A wider section of the population could now also go to the spa because this was partially reimbursed by the health insurance fund. By 1967, the bath house was hosting 167,182 baths per year . The number of guests was around 12,000. However, in 1987 , the reimbursement of health care was abolished, which led to a drastic reduction in the number of visitors.

At the start of the 21st century, new thermal baths were built in Spa that met all modern requirements and were also much larger. They were connected to the center by a funicular railway. The 1868 bathhouse finally closed its doors in 2003 after 135 years of service. The building has been vacant since 2004. After this it fell into disrepair and was affected by mold and house mushrooms.

In 2016, the city announced that the site will be integrated into a real estate project in which the old bathhouse will be converted into a luxury hotel with 80 rooms and apartments, an underground car park and shops will be built in surrounding buildings. A brasserie would be built in the monumental entrance hall. The cost of this project is estimated at 25 million euros. It is not known when the project will be completed.

Paradoxically, perhaps, for a city that "invented" thermalism, the old thermal baths have long been devoid of water. Originally, in the middle of the XIX century, a majestic fountain adorned the monumental facade. It disappeared as the transformations continued. The architects in charge of the project intend to rebuild it in an identical manner using plans and photographs of the time.

The spa counted at opening:

52 bath cabins with 54 bathtubs

2 rooms with high pressure showers

2 rooms with showers in circle, foot baths with running water and diving pools

2 rooms with regular showers and hydrotherapeutic baths

2 rooms exclusively for hydrotherapy

In the 19th century, this spa met all the expectations that such a spa had to meet. Over the years, various facilities have been added or modified during modernizations.

Willem Vandenameele