Mineral waters of the Spa in Belgium

Spa (French: Spa, Walloon: Spå) is a small resort town located in the Ardennes mountains of Belgium, in the province of Liège. The resort suffered the fate of Xerox, Jacuzzi, Pampers, Jeep and similar companies - over time, the toponym Spa became steadily associated with hydrotherapy and turned into a noun. There are often attempts to "decipher" Spa as "sanitas per aquam", which is Latin for "recovery from water", but this is just a popular misconception.

In 2021, the Belgian resort Spa, along with 10 other famous resorts, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming one of the "Great Spa Cities of Europe". And who, but Spa has certainly earned this regalia! Even the ancient Romans knew about the healing properties of the local springs, but it is much more remarkable that Spa became a full-fledged resort in the early XVI century!

Mineral water of the Spa resort

The Spa's mineral waters come from four independent underground rivers that run one above the other at a depth of between 250 and 550 meters. These waters come to the surface in and around Spa itself in more than 300 springs, but they are all divided into two main hydrological types: light mineral waters and carbonic iron waters or as they are called by the local Pouhouns.

The water of the first group is formed in this way: rain and snow falling on the plateau of la Fagne de Malchamps about 4 km from Spa is filtered through a layer of peat and then through a layer of quartz phyllite. The water is sparingly soluble, very low in sodium, magnesium and potassium, containing only 33 mg of dry residue. This water is exported to dozens of countries under the brands Spa Reine, Spa Intense and others. On average, it takes 3 years for the water to "mature", and the water is formed on the top layers of rocks.

Carbonic acid waters of the second group arise from 50-year-old sediments that have reached limestone rocks at a depth of hundreds of meters. When the rocks come into contact with water, chemical reactions take place, carbon dioxide is released and mineral salt compounds are formed, which create mineral water with natural gasation. The most famous representative of this group is Marie-Henriette water, which contains carbon dioxide, calcium bicarbonate, iron, manganese and lithium. This type of water is bottled and supplied to thermal centers for balneotherapy treatments.

Indications for treatment at the resort Spa, Belgium

Today the main specialization of the Spa is the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and arthritis. In the first case the main treatment is carbon dioxide mineral baths, in the second case - natural peat baths. Each of the baths has its own indications for treatment, they may differ according to the composition of the water. For example, the high iron content of the Sauvenière spring (410 m) makes it effective in treating anemia and some forms of male infertility. One of the Spa's most famous springs, Pouhon Géronstère (430 m), has a distinct sulphur flavor and is particularly useful for inflammatory respiratory diseases. The remaining most popular springs are Groesbeek (410m), Tonnelet (330m), Barisart (300m) and Reine (440m).

Finally, here is a table comparing the main characteristics of the main drinking waters in the resort Spa.