I like to think this blog is all about conserving the few wild, natural and free hot springs left in Europe. Sharing concerned info wider should result in increasing awareness which should result in more conservation.
For a variety of reasons, a couple of European hot springs have escaped the development conundrum of the last centuries and have remained freely accessible, mostly undisturbed and havens for soakers and soaking spirits who value community and nature. A pity yes, as soaking has overwhelmingly been viewed on as a commercial opportunity.
But the past few years have seen some these last havens coming even under more threat. And it's not from development.
A variety of reasons can be appropriated.
More easily accessible info, lack of other avenues of entertainment (think Covid-19), increased escapism, erosion of societal control, overall growth of population and their associated economic wealth and increasing social polarisation (just to name a few) have all resulted in increased natural hot spring consumerism, more unbridled hedonism and increasingly an attitude of been here, done that, sod the rest.
Surprisingly, these reasons are not valid for many of the developed hot springs.
The increased usage of natural soaks has resulted in a backlash from authorities.
Respect
Some recent examples of this backlash:
This Tuscan hot spring is increasingly being turned into a uncontrolled hot spring theme park. Recent
Tripadvisor reports:
'There are visible signs of dis-respect to this awesome site. Lots of garbage and cigarette butt everywhere. Crowded and no control of any sort. This is bad.
...
First of all I have to underline the fact that for free Thermal baths, the water is not so bad. And you also have free parking.
For all the rest: people and place I would say a big No NO. Is an open free space for everybody including animals that go inside the water. When I went, it was also full of drunk and strange people, I would not recommend this place for a solo visit or family with children'.
InToscane (Apr. 21) with how authorities respond. Translated:
'... or the first time , access to the Cascate del Mulino di Saturnia, one of the most beautiful free open-air spas in Italy, will be regulated to protect this incredible naturalistic area'.
Responsible attitude? Really? Glass? gabs_goe: ⛲
Definitely one of the best places we went to in Italy ✨
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#hotpools#hotsprings#naturalspring#naturelove#italia#poolsofinstagram#saturnia#chill#chillzone#redwineandeverythingsfine#vinorosso#vacation#toskana#tuscany#hotstuff#freestuff#skinnydipping#bluewater#holidays
Bitter
Concerning a very popular hot spring in southern France, this has gained national notoriety.
Franceblue (Jan. 17). Translated:
'“We have been dispossessed!” Dozens of inhabitants of [...], in the Pyrénées-Orientales, cry out their anger and bitterness, evoking their lost paradise.
Traffic problems on the small mountainous road blocking access to other communities, squatting leading to unsanitary situations are the most serious situations'.
As recent as last September, authorities were dealing with the evolving situation.
L'Independent (9 Aug.) translated:
'This weekend, some holidaymakers must have been surprised when they went to retrieve their vehicles after tasting the pleasures of the warm waters of Prats-Balaguer. Indeed fines of 135 euros and impoundments followed one another on Friday and last Saturday. "We regularly carry out control patrols but this time it was a large-scale operation", explains Commander Le Bouic, in charge of the Prades gendarmerie company. "A known situation in Prats-Balaguer with an overcrowding which has arrived gradually", according to Dominique Fossat, sub-prefect of the district of Prades.
"The situation gradually worsened with in particular access to the hamlet regularly blocked for residents, public services and even firefighters.
...
"In the short term, I will advise visitors to park further away if there is no space and to favor soft modes of traffic. We will continue to be particularly severe with offenders, warns Dominique Fossat. In the medium term, the idea is to create dedicated parking spaces and to completely prohibit parking along the departmental road. In the longer term, the project would be a land acquisition by the community in order to permanently secure the premises ".
Clearly not all is well in this soaking paradise.
I've been craving for this ever since I left Taiwan, where campsites near hotsprings where my second home.
Graciaaas Mon por el foton.
Sinners
Over to Spain. In Andalucia another hot spring is fenced off alltogether.
'News
Important! It seems that they have cut off access to this natural space because it is located on a private estate. We do not know how long this circumstance will last. We invite you to stay informed in the comments of this article, at the bottom of the page.
Problems
As we have said before, these thermal pools in the middle of nature are a spectacular and magical place, but not all that glitters is gold.
The main problem we have found is the dirt that dominates the area. Wraps, bottles, plastic cups, forgotten clothes and abandoned furniture are some of the objects that we will find much more frequently than expected .
Currently, by partially cutting off the entrances, the place is cleaner, although it is not as clean as we would like. From here we would like to appeal to all the people who visit this place, to conserve the environment and take the garbage, because it is a shame to find such a beautiful and magical place, so dirty'.
Antonio reacts to this (Sep. 1, 2021):
'It is a real shame as among all the pigs that went there and left all the garbage, and the hippies with their settlements, they have loaded the environment. In the end we pay righteous for sinners.
They say it is because they are private .. Yes, they have always been private, but they let bathers go, the problem is that it was already a dunghill and a point of sale for drugs, robberies and mobsters.
Hopefully they will remove the fences from there and allow the bathrooms to all the public, but controlling a little who enters and leaves, that it does not spoil everything again'.
Sense
Remember that if we want to continue enjoying these spaces, conserving it is everyone's mission.
And yes, note how I don't name the specific springs involved.
Followers of this blog will have seen that the references to each recently posted photo of hot spring fun have now become shushed.
We here believe much more in being a part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
But even so, soaking in Europe is not the only nature based activity which seeks to limit nature being trampled on and destroyed. Wild Swimming (UK) for instance shut down it's map references. Guardian (
Jun. 2, 2020): 'Overcrowding at swimming spots around the country has prompted the Outdoor Swimming Society (OSS) to take down its online crowd-sourced map – at wildswim.com – for the first time since its launch in 2006.
...
Rew (Founder OSS Kate Rew) has even suggested the site may not be reinstated: “Armed as many of us are now with better common sense and better abilities around open water, we may need to go back to bush telegraphs and maps – there is a joy in finding your own swim spot, too.”
Current OSS advice includes swimming local, avoiding popular areas, swimming early or late in the day, and – contrary to its usual promotion of #sharetheswimlove – thinking twice before sharing on social media, to discourage other visitors'.
Should we do the same?
Well for one, we don't have exactly the same, I doubt whether the map supplied will serve as a guide to more soaking adventures?
Cut the (quite popular) list? Again there's insufficient info there for potential soakers to access directly the hot spring. It's just a tool to assist potential soaking seekers. And an encouragement to look further.
So where does info sharing assist in conservation?
That's difficult to answer, people seem to derive their info online mostly by ignorantly asking the question: I live in x, where's the closest soak to me?
However on this blog (other than the reports), you'll possibly see the name of the hot spring and possibly a hint of the direction. So you'll need to do the research yourself.
So should I not publish reports anymore? Hmm, I might have to think more about this.
Is there more than can be done?
* I personally prefer to foster purity.
Concerning soaking culture, Japan sets the global example but there's no reason why we can't try to imitate. Dogs, shampoo, shoes, swimwear, etc.; all need to go. Thus creating an atmosphere of respect. And cleanliness.
In Europe we have an extensive sauna culture which seems similar to Japanese onsen culture, so why can't this be replicated at our soaking sites?
* Make vehicle access less obvious.
Drive-in hot springs should be a no-no. With ease of access for motor vehicles, come all kinds of camper vans, whose occupants often stay (too) long and end up littering the surroundings. Do we know that in NZ a campervan should legally be able to have water for 48 hours and have sufficient capacity to store refuse (water) for the same period. This to protect the direct environment.
* Getting local users managing the locations.
They have all to win, nothing to lose. They know their way and they will create win-win situations for local communities and their natural surroundings.
* Crashing the European soaking culture.
Soaking is for all ages, the infirm, but surely the healthy as well.
Often the European soaking culture is dictated by the ability to hand in a bill of treatment to the health insurer; thus this dictates the soaking industry.
Where soaking is freely accessible the clientele is much more diverse and especially younger.
Quite a few older establishments (esp. in southern Europe) are also out of business, but in closing down so to has the access to the original sources disappeared. Investors are possibly waiting in the wings.
Open these closed locations and link these up with a new (counter) soaking culture.
Any other suggestions?
The future may be bright, but it seems that the future need not all be positive.
Terme di Bullicame, a free soaking spot which only could be resurrected thanks to a protracted local fight.
