Sources de Vichy-les-Eaux de Bagnoles
- Location
- Bagnoles-de-l'Orne, France
- Water type
- sodium chloride, radioactive
- Temperature
- 26 °C
- pH
- 7.2
Water profile
Stimulating — wakes the body and boosts circulation.
Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.
Dense, salty water — you float without effort.
Tucked away in southern Normandy, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne is home to the only thermal spring in the whole of western France, a site whose name derives from the Latin "Balneolas," meaning little bath. Bathing here already took place in the Middle Ages, but it was in the 17th century that Hélie de Cerny, the local governor, had the first proper establishment built to make use of the spring. The water, remarkably pure and lightly mineralized, stands out for its richness in trace elements: chlorine, sulfate, silicate, bicarbonate, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, copper and magnesium.
The resort's real expansion began in 1881, with the arrival of the railway, the building of the casino and later the creation of Lac de Bagnoles, which turned the village into a sought-after retreat. Today's establishment carries this history forward, showcasing water with an acidic pH well suited to skin absorption of minerals, on a site that has become emblematic of Normandy spa culture.