PHOTOS: Europe's Most Famous Spa Towns

Before the advent of today’s sleek and glamorous spa getaways, spa towns were a thing in Europe for centuries, offering refuge to royalty and members of the upper crust looking for a cure.

For ages, people have believed in the healing properties of nature. So, it’s no surprise that many of these towns are home to thermal hot springs whose waters are touted as relief for a host of ailments ranging from rheumatism to respiratory issues. As such, everyone who was anyone — think Mozart, Peter the Great and even Katharine Hepburn — have visited these places over the years. Hotels and resorts cropped up as the popularity of these locales grew, allowing visitors to take in the sights (hello, Alps!) as well as the healing powers of the landscape.

To this day, spa towns such as the Czech Republic’s Marienbad or Switzerland’s Leukerbad (“bad” is used either before or after town names to show that that town is home to a spa) welcome guests from near and far looking for remedies.

Herewith, where to find your cure…

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• Franzensbad (Frantiskovy Lazne), Czech Republic

  This town in Bohemia, which was a href=”http://www.frantiskovylazne.cz/cs/historie-a-soucasnost/”established in 1793/a, has welcomed guests seeking treatment from the town’s famed mineral water and mud, which is said to aid in blood circulation and pain relief, among other health concerns.

  Franzensbad has a href=”http://www.frantiskovylazne.cz/cs/historie-a-soucasnost/”welcomed notables including Metternich, Goethe and Beethoven/a, among others, and now has some 3,500 hotels.

• Aix-les-Bains, France

  A a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/mar/27/spa.france.luxurytravel”relief from arthritis and rheumatism/a are what draws visitors to this French town that lies near Lac du Bourget, France’s a href=”http://www.valvital.fr/stations-thermales/aix-les-bains/aix-les-bains.html”largest natural lake of glacial origin/a, along the Alps.

• Bath, UK

  Bath is home to a href=”http://visitbath.co.uk/spa-and-wellbeing”Britain’s only natural hot springs/a with an incredibly long history. Today, the town’s a href=”http://visitbath.co.uk/things-to-do/attractions/roman-baths-p25681″Roman Baths/a (a World Heritage Site) are the main attraction.

• Bad Ischl, Austria

  The a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/bath-time”water here in this spa town is known for aiding respiratory, cardiovascular and dermatological issues/a, according to Travel Leisure.

  Visitors to the area can also take in the nearby lakes and mountains.

• Marienbad (Marianske Lazne), Czech Republic

  It seems a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/03/world/europe/03czech.html?ref=craigssmith_r=0″anyone who was anyone has come for a stay at Marienbad/a, including Mark Twain, Emperor Franz Josef, Czar Nicholas II, Friedrich Nietzsche, Franz Kafka, Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Edison.

  Nearby springs are said to have high magnesium levels, which aid with urological issues. The main thing here is drinking mineral water–and lots of it–daily. The grand dame of hotels, a href=”http://www.marienbad.cz/en/accomodation_hotel/czech_republic/marianske_lazne/danubius_health_spa_resort_nove_lazne”Nove Lazne/a, was originally built by the town’s founder in the 19th century.

• Montecatini Terme, Italy

  Montecatini Terme not only offers thermal spas and springs (from which people drink the healing waters) but a walkable town set in the heart of Tuscany. It’s been known to a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/bath-time”host celebrities such as Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable and Katharine Hepburn/a.

• Heviz, Hungary

  The lake, the second-largest thermal lake in the world, which bears the town’s name is said to a href=”http://www.lakeheviz.com/heviz-spa.php”help fight osteoporosis and inflammatory diseases, among others/a.

• Vichy, France

  Two area springs–a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/bath-time”Hopital and Celestine/a–are said to help intestinal issues and digestion, respectively. The town, though not a major tourist destination, was the capital of the Vichy government during World War II.

• Leukerbad, Switzerland

  Leukerbad is town for both skiers and those looking to relax in the town’s a href=”http://www.leukerbad.ch/en/page.cfm/Thermalbaeder?nav=2″30 thermal baths/a, which make it the a href=”http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/largest-thermal-baths-and-wellness-resort-leukerbad.html”largest thermal baths and wellness resort in the Alps/a.

• Baden Bei Wien, Austria

  Located just south of Vienna, Baden Bei Wien is known for its a href=”http://www.badenonline.at/en/tourismusthemen/water/water-spas-health.html”sulfurous springs/a. Notables such as a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/bath-time”Beethoven and Peter the Great were known to have visited/a.

PHOTOS: Europe's Most Famous Spa Towns