The city of Bath’s second UNESCO World Heritage status listing, which includes it as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe, has been celebrated at a special event.
Paul Simons, Colin Skellett, Cllr Lisa O’Brien, Cllr June Player, Cllr Kevin Guy and Tony Crouch
In July it was announced that Bath, along with ten other historic spa towns, had secured the new status as part of the ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’ nomination.
An event to mark the achievement was held on Monday 6th September, and included guests who were instrumental in helping achieve the recognition.
Council leader, Councillor Kevin Guy, said: “I want to thank all our partners who worked together for many years to achieve this remarkable second listing.
“Gaining this status is not just about our remarkable history, it is about looking ahead and nurturing our unique heritage within a modern and vibrant city.”
Colin Skellett, Chair of Thermae Bath Spa’s operating company, said: “At the beginning of this millennium Bath was restored as a spa city and this was vital in gaining UNESCO recognition. Civic leaders showed immense foresight in developing Thermae Bath Spa.
“The second listing is a great boost as we recover from the Covid pandemic and start welcoming back visitors who are so important to the economy of Bath and North East Somerset.
“More than half of the visitors to Thermae Bath Spa say the spa was their main reason for visiting the city which boosts the local economy by almost £12 million a year.”
The Great Spa Towns of Europe project focuses on historic spa towns, based around mineral springs, which have formed fashionable resorts of health, leisure and recreational ‘diversions’ such as gambling and dancing from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries.
The spa towns included in the inscription are Bath (UK), Baden bei Wien (Austria), Spa (Belgium), Vichy (France), Baden-Baden, Bad Ems and Bad Kissingen (Germany), Montecatini Terme (Italy), and Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázn? and Františkovy Lázn? (Czech Republic).
It is a transnational nomination, meaning that the 11 spa towns are seen as a single World Heritage Site.
Bath is the only one of the 11 locations to already have World Heritage Status.
