Thermes de Spa

Hilltop thermal baths with outdoor pool over the Ardennes

The main thermal baths complex sits on the hillside above the town, reached by a cable car (téléphérique) from the town centre — the ride up is part of the experience, with views across the valley. Inside, there are indoor and outdoor thermal pools, saunas, steam rooms, and a full menu of treatments from basic bathing to full spa packages. The outdoor pool overlooking the Ardennes hills is particularly good on a cold day.

You can come just for the pools without booking treatments in advance, though treatments fill up fast at weekends. The complex is modern and well-run, without the faded grandeur of the town below — but the combination of mineral water and mountain air is exactly what people have been coming to Spa for since the 16th century.

things to do sight
A story
The thermal baths tradition in Spa dates back to the 16th century when local mineral springs became fashionable among European aristocracy. The current building, opened in 2004, is the latest in a series of bath houses — the original 19th-century Pouhon thermal establishment was demolished in 1960, to the lasting regret of conservationists.