Spas

Spas dedicated to the promotion of health and well-being are found across the world. Originally their function was based on therapeutic and pleasurable usage of thermal and mineral springs for bathing and drinking; they now are highly commercialized institutions playing a key role in tourism around the world, a subject that is still underresearched. The term spa is also widely used to refer to any facility that markets itself as beneficial to health, beauty, and relaxation. Many early modern spas originated in pilgrimage sites and a belief in the healing power of their therapeutic landscapes, and the transformative nature of the spa experience continues to play a part in spa culture. In the eighteenth century, many European and American spas functioned as summer health and ...