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12.2.2. Famous Spas in Britain and the U.S.

Do some background research regarding the underlined terms in the text: (1) UNESCO World Heritage Site, (2) Sulis Minerva, (3) AD, (4) thermae, (5) hydrotherapy.

Famous Spas in Britain and in the U.S.

 

Bath in the south of England is a beautiful and special place. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the only place in the UK where tourists can bathe in naturally hot spa water and original Roman style baths.

Bath is a place where the Romans constructed a complex of bathhouses above the settlement’s  three natural hot springs, which emerge at a steady 46°C (115°F). It is not known exactly when the health giving qualities of Bath springs were first noticed. But they were certainly known to the Romans who built a temple here around 50 AD and dedicated it to Sulis Minerva. In the 60s and 70s AD a town grew up on the site of Bath. It was called Aquae Sulis, that is the waters of Sul.

The baths now form one of the best-preserved ancient Roman spas in the world. They are surrounded by 18th and 19th century buildings. The centre of the bath complex is the so-called Great Bath. It is filled with steaming water from the so-called 'Sacred Spring' to a depth of 1.6m. Though it is now open-air, the bath would originally have been covered by a 45m-high roof.

Other sights in the city of Bath include  several museums and other hot and cold baths, including the Thermae Bath Spa. This modern bath complex was opened in 2006. Most visitors experience a session in the New Royal Bath, which permits tourists to bathe in warm (around 33.5 Centigrade), natural, thermal waters in the open-air rooftop pool or the larger indoor Minerva Bath. Tourists can also enjoy various steam rooms or a variety of spa treatments.

Palm Springs, California, U.S. enjoys 350 days of sunny and warm weather each year.  The sunshine, the city’s natural beauty and its hot springs make Palm Springs a year-round destination..

The spas in Palm Springs are magical places. Most of them are located on surrounding hillsides with nice views of the city of Palm Springs and the snow capped mountains around it.  The spa area is  known as the Miracle Hill. There are several indoor and outdoor pools filled with bubbling mineral spring waters of restorative properties.

The clear, curative mineral spring waters were unearthed here in 1956. In general the hotter the water, the greater its mineral content. The Palm Springs mineral water is one of the hottest in California. These waters have been compared to the famous healing mineral springs spas of Baden-Baden and Evian. In addition to longer holidays and treatments day spas are also available offering a wide range of services from massage, body treatments, facials, healing waters, hydrotherapy and body wraps.

UNESCO World Heritage Site:

Sulis Minerva:  Sul:

AD:

Thermae:

Hydrotherapy: 

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