The Great Spa Towns of Europe (GSTE) Association discussed the spa towns’ legacies at the first general assembly under the leadership of new chair Oliver Krügel, the Mayor of Bad Ems, Germany, earlier this month.

This was the first time the general assembly has been held in Bad Ems, which is one of three German spa towns within The Great Spa Towns of Europe: Bad Ems, Bad Kissingen and Baden-Baden.

There are a total of eleven spa towns* throughout Europe, built around their respective natural sources of mineral and thermal springs. Together, they form a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to preserving and maintaining their role as locations that shape European culture.

This year’s general assembly focused on the global value these spa towns have and the international cooperation required to allow their legacy to thrive.

Oliver Krügel told Spa Business: “As chair of The Great Spa Towns of Europe, my vision is to safeguard our outstanding universal value over the next 10, 15 and 20 years and to embed this for the next generations.

“We want to inspire young people to appreciate the significance of our spa towns and to encourage them to become future custodians, learning about their spa history, the heritage they share across Europe and getting involved with caring for their towns,” added Krügel.

Young residents from the spa towns, aged 12-14, took part in the GSTE Association’s Youth Forum during the general assembly to discuss the towns’ futures.

“International exchange and cultural dialogue both play such crucial roles,” continued Krügel. “These relationships help us anchor and strengthen the European spa town spirit at an early stage.”

Climate change

The GSTE Association discussed a Property Management Plan for the spa towns, which encouraged heritage experts, politicians and decision-makers to participate in anticipatory exercises envisioning the World Heritage Site’s future.

Krügel told Spa Business how environmental factors influencing spa towns need to be addressed: “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our mineral waters, from flash flooding to drought, posing a potential threat to spring emergence points,” added Krügel. “We don't yet have enough data to understand exactly how, so we have set up a group of hydrology and geology experts to research this.

“Fortunately, as we are made up of eleven spa towns across Europe, we have a wide network of expertise and support to safeguard the springs, ensure their longevity and stay ahead of new methods,” he added.

“Some of our members have enrolled with Preserving Legacies, a programme funded by the National Geographic Society to help natural and cultural heritage sites develop resilience against climate change,” continued Krügel. “At a local level, our members have strong partnerships with academics, research teams and scientists, who provide in-depth intelligence that we build upon and share as best practices.

Krügel suggested spa towns could also use their waters as part of the solution to the problems posed by climate change: “The responsible use of geothermal energy can make an important contribution to the energy transition, fully in line with the protection and preservation of World Heritage. The way the City of Bath, UK, reuses its natural thermal waters to heat Bath Abbey, is one example.

“As mineral and thermal springs around the world face the pressures of climate change, our goal is to be a source of expertise, learning and collaboration, to protect mineral springs and support wider efforts in water conservation across the globe," concluded Krügel.

*The Great Spa Towns of Europe

• Baden bei Wien, Austria
• Spa, Belgium
• Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
• Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic
• Frantiskovy Lazne, Czech Republic
• Vichy, France
• Baden-Baden, Germany
• Bad Ems, Germany
• Bad Kissingen, Germany
• Montecatini Terme, Italy
• Bath, UK