Source de la Sauvenière (Spa)

The Source de la Sauvenière in Spa, Belgium, is one of the spring sources that gave the English language the universal word 'spa', where iron-rich, naturally carbonated mineral water has been flowing from the wooded Ardennes hillsides since its official recognition in the 16th century. The Sauvenière was particularly celebrated during the 18th century when Spa attracted the crowned heads of Europe seeking its therapeutic iron-bearing sparkling waters for anaemia, digestive complaints, and general debility. The spring's beautifully landscaped Promenade de Sept Heures walk, created in the 18th century for the entertainment of spa visitors, remains one of Belgium's most historically evocative heritage promenades through the Ardennes forest.