Vals-les-Bains

Vals-les-Bains in the Ardèche département draws from a remarkable natural phenomenon of oligomineral springs rising at varying temperatures from cold to moderately warm in the same narrow valley of the Volane River, where a unique intermittent geyser erupts approximately every six hours due to the CO2-rich volcanic geology of the upper Ardèche, making Vals one of the very few thermal stations in France where visitors can witness a naturally erupting geyser as part of the spa experience. The slightly carbonated mineral water of Vals, appreciated for digestive well-being at an accredited establishment, has been bottled and distributed nationally as a commercial mineral water while simultaneously maintaining the spa tradition in the elegant Belle Époque casino and thermal park that line the gorge of the Volane through the centre of the town. The surrounding Ardèche landscape of chestnut forests, volcanic basalt plateaux, and the extraordinary silk-weaving heritage of the Cévenol tradition preserved in the nearby Musée de la Soie at Joyeuse complement the thermal tradition of a spa whose natural geological theatrics make it one of France's most scientifically remarkable.