The water culture
A pilot  support develophment project in european thermal villages.

CONTEXT

Balneology provides an overall picture of the cultural and natural heritage of spa towns, complex and qualitative systems based on the integration of architecture and landscape, culture and health, people taking the waters and residents, past history and the future. The rational utilisation of natural and cultural resources connected with medicinal mineral waters can support specific strategies of development. 

PARTNERSHIP

• The Town Council of Caldes d’Estrac (Cataluña, Spain);  

• The Town Council of Lagadas (Macedonia, Greece);  

•  The Association of Municipalities of Vale do Cávado (Northern Region, Portugal), which includes three spas in the municipalities of Amares (Caldelas), Barcelos (Eirogo) and Terras de Bouro (Geres)

These are small spas, close to large cities which have suffered from urban deterioration over the past few decades because of the declining popularity of spas which structured urban development over the years. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE PILOT PROJECT

•   Encourage the integrated development of spa towns and the preservation of their architectural and cultural heritage through an exchange of experiences at European level. 

• Promote and interpret globally the culture of water, a resource with the potentia of stimulating the social advancement and tourism of spa towns.  

•  Encourage the application of new methods to interpret the spa heritage and promote the culture of spa towns.

• Integrate heritage, tourism and local development policies by creating specialised agencies in spa towns. 

• Kindle social and economic development dynamics in the medium term by consolidating new centres for the recreational and health culture sector. 

PRESENTATION OF THE ACTION ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE STRATEGIC PHASE

Exchanging personal information and experiences and drawing on their direct knowledge of the development of spa towns in other European countries, the partners defined a common approach to planning and managing European spa towns, notwithstanding differences in legislation from one country to another. Spa towns are by nature activity towns. Because of this, the spa product cannot be limited to the spa facilities, as is the case in most of the municipalities participating. That is why the intervention projects developed in each municipality approach the spa product from the urbanity, architectonic, tourist, social and cultural point of view, in an integrated fashion.

In this phase, a development strategy uniting the business strategies of the spa centres with the municipalities, economic and social development strategies was defined, strengthening consultation between the public and private sector and stepping up the involvement of a number of social agents.

The scale and complexity of the projects have led to a combining of the structural actions in the medium term – construction of new spa centres, urban renovation projects, etc. – with immediate actions to promote the culture and improve the environment of the towns.

DEMONSTRATION PHASE

·  New spa products, between tradition and modernity: for each of the network`s six spa towns, the project has defined the characteristics of the new spa offerings to be developed, taking particular account of a new urban demand: thalassatherapy in Caldes d`Estrac, water games in Caldas de Reis, water cures in Lagadas, health tourism in Vale do Cávado.

·  Reviving the urbanity culture of spa towns: proposals for urban structuring are defined on the basis of water cures for each of the municipalities, like a new spa neighbourhood in Caldas de Reis, the walk that connects three new spa centres in Caldes d`Estrac, the urban development of Caldelas and Geres, the garden development project for the thermal baths of Lagadas.

·  Utilisation of the spa architecture: the project provides for an analysis and lays down the criteria for restoring and utilising the Byzantine thermal baths of Lagadas, Caldelas, Eirogo and Geres and the seaside resorts of Caldas de Reis. Projects are also being studied for new spa centres in each of the municipalities participating.

·  Interpretation of water culture: spa towns have traditionally been points of artistic and cultural convergence and creation. The Thermaios project facilitates the structuring of a cultural offering specific to each of the municipalities participating, interpreting their own tradition and the current preoccupations of their population. This has materialised with the impetus from new festivals -“Cultura Quente” in Caldas de Reis, “Mygdoniana” in Lagadas, “Agua y Salud” in Caldes d`Estrac- the designing of new interpretation Centres in Caldas de Reis and Caldes d`Estrac or the elaboration of the Interpretation Plan of Vale do Cávado. Integrated management of local development through specialised agencies: there are plans to create in each municipality a “Thermaios” agency, responsible for managing the spa and everything concerning the urban and spa renovation projects.

In the course of history, Europe’s spa towns have been small centres of innovation because of the elaboration of urbanity plans and architectonic drawings and because of cultural creations and social relations. The Thermaios project aims to highlight these innovative elements and project them in the new local development projects.

Among the noteworthy innovations of the project are the heritage approach to the interventions in spa towns; the actual integration of heritage, tourism and local development policies; the design of new spa products; the adoption of European quality criteria and standards; the solutions found to overcome the traditional difference between the public sector and private initiative in the sector of water cures.

CONTINUATION

Thermaios has what in takes to become a stable network of cooperation between European spa towns. There has therefore been an ongoing effort to present the initiative at specialised fairs and conferences and to invite other municipalities to join the network in the future.

The network will benefit from a travelling exhibition, a publication on Europe`s spa heritage and a management guide for spa towns that will make it possible to keep the network going after the end of the project.

The strategic and structural nature of the dynamics launched by each municipality, the enthusiasm generated around these urban transformation projects and the creation of “Thermaios” local development agencies mean that the network has a good chance of continuing.

CONTACT

Xavier Ballbé
Thermaios Project Director
Concello de Caldas de Reis - Herreria 1 ,
 36.650 Caldas de Reis - Pontevedra - Spain
Tel: +34986540002 Fax: +34986530393
Email: thermaios@themaios.com