Culture of Spa. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Spa is rich in symbolic historical attractions. One of the most significant ones is Poûhon Pierre-le-Grand. Peter the Great spent several weeks at the resort in 1717 and stayed exactly at this pavilion. Before his departure, near the spring the big marble slab, on which the words of appreciation on behalf of Peter the Great had been graved, was placed. In 1880, the pavilion was reconstructed. There is a beautiful winter garden near the pavilion that is decorated with sophisticated canvasses of outstanding artists.

Each spring has its interesting history. For instance, in the middle of the 17th century Source de la Géronstère was constructed on donations of the Burgsdorf count. The count spent several months at the resort and was healed from few diseases. The luxurious pavilion built on his funds became the best gratitude to the welcoming resort. One of the very interesting historical monuments is Pouhon Prince de Condé. It was found by the local pharmacist in his own cellar in 1863. This pharmacist’s sudden find allowed people from all over the world to enjoy the healing spring water. Since the middle of the 19th century, thousands of bottles with healing water have been exported to different countries annually. The spring has been recently decorated with a new pyramidal pavilion built of glass and resembling a huge sparkling crystal.

Ancient springs are not the only historical pride of Spa. Excursion enthusiasts should certainly walk along the streets and admire historical constructions surviving. A lot of magnificent constructions built in different ages are situated close to De l’Hôtel de Ville. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Exactly here, the building of the old town hall, Hôtel de Ville, is located. Initially, in the beautiful building built in 1868 there was one of the most upscale hotels of the town. High officials and representatives of royal families stayed here. Throughout its history, the building's status changed several times. It turned into fabric in a specific time period and then served as school. Since 1941, the building has been used for administrative needs of the town.

The most visited cultural center of Spa is Casino de Spa. This large leisure center was finally built in 1929. The modern casino was constructed on the foundation of the old one that was completely destroyed during the war. Besides playrooms, the modern casino is a location of the small library and the theater. The most luxurious rooms are used for organizing official ceremonies.

Near it, you can see another attractive historical monument, Thermes de Spa. These old thermae were built in 1868. At present, the thermal center is closed and prepared for extensive reconstruction, after which it will be used as a luxurious hotel. There are also interesting religious attractions, among which Church of Our Lady and Saint Remacle, Église Notre-Dame et Saint-Remacle, is noteworthy. The first religious construction appeared at this place in the 15th century. The church which the resort guests can admire today dates back to the second half of the 19th century. The main historical artifact kept in the Romanesque church is the sculpture of Saint Remacle. According to the historical data, it was brought to the town in the 16th century.