Thermes Augustes

Aix-les-Bains has been a spa town for two thousand years, and the story begins with its hot springs. The Romans knew the place as Aquae Gratianae, the waters of Gratian, and they built baths here in the first centuries of our era to use the sulphurous and alkaline water that rises at about forty-five degrees from the limestone hills above the town. Several Roman remains survive in the town, among them the ruins of Roman baths that can be visited, the remains of a temple and a monumental arch, the Arc de Campanus, of the first or second century, which was a family tomb and still stands in the park near the centre. The name Thermes Augustes, though it echoes the Roman past, is used for modern thermal facilities rather than for a single Roman building.

The town's great period came in the nineteenth century. After Savoy became French in 1860, Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie visited, and the thermal establishment was rebuilt on a grand scale as the Thermes Nationaux, opened in 1857 and extended afterwards. Fashionable society came to take the waters and enjoy the lake, and the visitors included Queen Victoria, who stayed in Aix in 1885 and 1887 and walked in the town incognito as the Countess of Balmoral. Grand hotels, villas and a casino went up during the Belle Époque, and the town's streets still carry traces of that era. The treatments were prescribed for rheumatism, respiratory conditions and other complaints, and the baths remain a medical resource.

Today the thermal tradition lives on in several establishments, and the wellness centre linked with this name is a modern complex of about 1,600 square metres. It has indoor and outdoor thermal pools, with water kept at a pleasant constant temperature, as well as hammams, saunas and steam rooms, relaxation areas and a range of treatments, such as massages and water therapies. Entry is for a single session, with a fee, and the centre is open daily, with slightly shorter hours on Sundays and with the treatments finishing earlier. Swimwear is obligatory, and bathers have to wear plastic sandals in the wet areas, for hygiene. Towels are normally provided, and parking is available at the site. The centre is on the hillside route toward Mont Revard, a few kilometres from the town, so it is reached by car, public transport or a shuttle, and the views over the lake and the valley are a bonus. Opening hours change with the season, so check the website, and book treatments in advance in busy periods.

The spa suits visitors who want to relax after walking or cycling around the Lac du Bourget, whose shores are a few minutes away. In the town, the Casino d'Aix-les-Bains, the Église Saint-Sacrement and the lakeside promenades are part of the same heritage, and a boat trip to the abbey of Hautecombe leaves from the harbour. A visit to the baths takes a few hours, and it suits people of all ages who enjoy warm water.