Healing waters: 10 of the best spa towns in Europe for a restorative autumn break
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: In news headlines, the present simple tense (such as 'Welcome') is commonly used to report recent or current events instead of the past tense.
Museums in Paris welcome summer tourists.
EN: Europe has a long tradition of 'spa towns' dating back centuries, where people travel specifically to drink mineral-rich spring water and bathe in thermal baths for health and wellness.
EN: Use the pattern 'name + somebody/something + as + role/title' to show that someone or something is officially designated, declared, or appointed as something.
The committee named the city as the cultural capital.
EN: UNESCO designated 'The Great Spa Towns of Europe' as a World Heritage Site in 2021. It is a transnational property comprising 11 famous spa towns across seven European countries, celebrating Europe's historic thermal bathing culture from the 18th to the early 20th century.
EN: Use 'for + noun' to express the reason or purpose of doing something.
Many tourists go to the beach for sunshine and rest.
EN: In Europe, thermal waters have been valued since Roman times for hydrotherapy (spa cures), where people travel to mineral spring towns not just for vacation, but as medical treatments prescribed by doctors.
EN: Use the present tense verb 'includes' to state what items belong to a group or list.
The breakfast includes eggs and milk.
EN: Bath in England and Spa in Belgium are two of Europe's most famous historic spa towns. In fact, the general English word 'spa' originated from the name of the Belgian town Spa, renowned for its healing springs since ancient times.
EN: Use '[Number] of the [plural noun]' to talk about a specific part of a group. Because the subject refers to multiple items (three), use the plural verb 'are'.
Two of the students are from Japan.
EN: The Czech Republic officially approved 'Czechia' as its short English name in 2016. Western Czechia is famous for its 'West Bohemian Spa Triangle', which includes the historic spa towns Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, and Františkovy Lázně.
EN: Use 'One of + plural noun/pronoun' followed by a singular verb (like 'is') to talk about a single item from a group.
One of my friends is a doctor.
EN: Mariánské Lázně is a famous Czech spa town known for its historic colonnades and green parks, where visitors historically strolled between drinking mineral waters for health therapy.
EN: When listing three or more items in English, use commas to separate them and put 'and' before the last item (A, B, and C).
The hotel has a pool, a gym, and a restaurant.
EN: In Central Europe, spa towns (like Mariánské Lázně in Czechia) are traditional wellness centers where visitors drink mineral-rich spring water and take therapeutic mud baths prescribed by doctors for healing.
EN: Use 'send + someone + somewhere' to express directing or sending a person to a specific place.
Parents send their children to school every morning.
EN: In Central Europe, including Czechia, spa treatments (balneotherapy) are integrated into the medical healthcare system. Doctors frequently prescribe weeks-long stays at mineral spas for recovery, often covered by health insurance.
EN: Use 'start at + [price/number]' to indicate the lowest price or beginning amount for something.
Tickets start at 15 dollars.
EN: Nové Lázně ('New Baths') is a historic 5-star spa hotel in Mariánské Lázně, Czechia. Even though Czechia uses the Czech koruna (CZK) locally, international hotels and travel guides frequently quote prices in euros (EUR) for foreign visitors.
EN: Use 'and' to connect two independent clauses (complete thoughts) into one compound sentence. Both parts can stand alone as complete sentences.
The park opened at nine, and many people visited it.
EN: British monarchs with royal Roman numerals (e.g., Edward VII) are written out as 'King Edward the Seventh' in formal text and spoken aloud with the definite article 'the'. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European royalty frequently traveled to continental spa towns for curative 'taking the waters' holidays.
EN: Use 'and' to connect two actions done by the same subject. Here, 'walk' and 'drink' share the subject 'people'.
In the park, children run and play games.
EN: In traditional European spa towns like Mariánské Lázně, drinking mineral water is part of the therapy. People use distinctive porcelain spa cups with a built-in spout designed to sip the mineral-rich water slowly while strolling along colonnades.
EN: We can put a noun phrase right after a comma to explain or describe the previous noun. Here, 'thin sweet cookies...' explains what 'spa wafers' are.
I like bubble tea, a popular drink from Taiwan.
EN: Spa wafers (lázeňské oplatky in Czech) are a famous traditional sweet from Czech spa towns such as Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary. They were originally made in monasteries in the 18th century, and visitors traditionally enjoy them warm while strolling and drinking the thermal mineral waters.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A landmark or area officially recognized by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance.
Naturally heated groundwater that rises from the earth, often containing minerals and used for bathing or therapy.
A town known for its natural mineral or thermal springs that people visit for health and wellness.