Hall des Sources

Vichy, France | C.1903

Icon AWA Official Place

AWA featured place

Photo by: Camille Binon

Written by: Seamus McMahon

In this public watering hole, not all drinking taps are open to the masses—some require a doctor’s prescription. That’s right, a sprinkle from these sourced waters can reputedly cure many an ailment. Created as a one-stop shop for the city’s many natural springs, visitors and “curistes” seeking healing have found solace by soaking up the waters of Vichy in this Belle Epoque palace. 

Since the Romans first inhabited the area in 52 BC, Vichy, France, has been known for its natural hot springs and hosted many patrons seeking solace through its waters over the centuries. While structures and spas existed around Vichy since at least the 18th Century, it was during the reign of Napoleon III a century later that the city enjoyed the height of its popularity. The water from Vichy’s nine natural springs was said to have healing powers, which Napoleon III  himself believed in, visiting the area six times for a salving retreat over the course of his reign. 

Located in the city’s central parkland, the Hall des Sources replaced an older structure in 1903 with a French Belle Epoque design. Naturally sitting above two springs, water from two other springs in the park is brought to the pavilion’s taps via piping. Regal tile signs mark which taps provide water from a specific spring, with water temperatures ranging from 70-105 degrees Fahrenheit. Chugging one’s water is not recommended. 

While these days one can purchase Vichy’s springwater from supermarkets all over France (most coming from the Celestins spring), a bottle doesn’t capture the comfort of enjoying freshly drafted spring water and lounging at the palm-filled pavilion. One could argue sipping a glass in this environment comes with extra healing powers. 

Submit Your Image

One thought on “Hall des Sources

  1. The DBB says:
    April 20, 2023

    Oh, you bet I’d sip here!

Create an account to comment! Login/Sign Up.

Partner

Add an image to Hall des Sources

Tips for photos
  • The image must be created by you
  • Subject is symmetrically aligned, and a dash of color never hurts.
  • The place shown has some sort of historical significance
  • FAQs

Max file size is 40MB. JPEGs are preferred.

You do not have permission to view this form.

You did it! 🎉

Your submission has been sent to our team for review!

Please note, it can sometimes take us a month or more to get through all the submissions. There are only two of us reviewing, so we appreciate your patience, but we pinky-promise to email you if your submission is accepted, so keep an eye on your inbox for updates!

Got it!

Log in

Need an account? Sign up

Sign up

Already have an account? Log In

Enter your email to reset your password

Enter your new password