Spa and Hot Springs of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom

The spa and hot springs of Bath are traditionally associated with the Romans. It is true that the Romans developed the baths and built a massive complex, with temples and administrative buildings, around them. However the site dates back to the Celtic period, and the baths have been in used almost continuously since the Romans left. The spa was revitalised in the 18th century and appears on the novels of Jane Austen. Today the Roman spa is a museum but there are still places nearby where you can take the waters.

Roman Baths

Constructed in around 70 AD as a grand bathing and socialising complex, the Roman Baths is one of the best-preserved Roman remains in the world, where 1,170,000 litres of steaming spring water, reaching 46°C, still fills the bathing site every single day.

The Roman Baths is the site of extensive ruins and an interactive museum filled with many treasures and visual snippets that transport you back to Roman times and the lives of the Aquae Sulis people. Walk on ancient pavements as the Romans did 2,000 years ago, and explore chambers historically housing changing rooms and tepid plunge pools.

Modern Age

In the Elizabethan era, when the city experienced a revival as a spa. The baths were improved and the city began to attract the aristocracy. In the 18th century Bath had become perhaps the most fashionable of the rapidly developing British spa towns, attracting many notable visitors such as the wealthy London bookseller Andrew Millar and his wife, who both made long visits.

Since 2000, major developments have included the Thermae Bath Spa, the SouthGate shopping centre, the residential Western Riverside project on the Stothert & Pitt factory site, and the riverside Bath Quays office and business development. In 2021, Bath become part of a second UNESCO World Heritage Site, a group of spa towns across Europe known as the "Great Spa Towns of Europe".

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Julie McNab (2 years ago)
Loved the Thermae Bath Spa experience. The water is so warm and it was lovely to go in the roof top pool at night to see the city lights, although very chilly getting out! But we soon warmed up again in the lower ground pool which was hot and relaxing. Well worth a visit ?

namrata panchal (2 years ago)
I recommend visiting the Thermae Spa. Our experience was truly rejuvenating. The rooftop pool was the best part. We visited during winter (end of Nov), staying in the open was difficult due to the weather, but once we entered the pool it was just amazing. The water bubbles were very relaxing. We tried the different steam, ice rooms as well. Overall definitely worth a visit. The locker rooms were a bit confusing to navigate around. I got lost while finding our lockers. The amenities in the locker room were average. With the amount of crowd visiting they can do much better. Rating 4 for the spa pools and treatment rooms. We booked a room at the Bird Bath hotel and received 2 vouchers for the Thermae Spa abd had pre-booked our reservations. So didn’t have to wait. The walk-ins didn’t have any queue as well (probably due to weekday).

Heather Vahn (2 years ago)
Fabulous spa. 40£ entry - access to rooftop heated pool & lower ground heated pool + all of the spa suite rooms. free robes & towels. They sell sandals at the front desk or bring your own. Many people walking around barefoot though so not a big deal. Free Lockers. No phones allowed, they take our phone away at check in & put it in a locked case & give you the locked case and they unlock it afterwards when you check out. Treatment available there for a price. Definitely recommend pre-booking.

Antuan Altair (2 years ago)
Lovely Spa! A bit busy at times tough, but lovely! I booked a massage and it was great too. Steam rooms and saunas were too busy and people some times weren’t aware of closing the door so steam was escaping from the room. But good experience anyway

Chris Allen (2 years ago)
So much fun. They don't allow cameras or smartphones inside so I can't share any photos. They provide towels, changing rooms, showers, and lockable bags to put your phone in. They unlock the bag when you leave so you can get your phone out. We started at the rooftop pool, then when down to the dry sauna, wet sauna, space room, and ice room. Lastly we did the indoor pool. A very nice experience. Worth doing for sure. If you've been to Turkish baths or other hot springs maybe skippable but I have been to others and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Andy Hay

Historic Site of the week

Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.

Spa and Hot Springs of Bath

Roman Baths

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