Bormio spas: 3 different locations, 9 termal springs and millennial history
With our article we try to tell you about the Bormio thermal waters by taking you to the discovery of the warm waters that give life to the three spas of Bormio (Bormio Terme – QC Terme Bagni Nuovi – QC Terme Bagni Vecchi)
Bormio (1225 meters above sea level) has been linked to warm thermal waters since its origins. The name of the town itself seems to derive from the Celtic “Worms” (hot). Other important evidence of the ancient relationship between the Bormio area and its waters is the discovery, near the church of San Vitale in Bormio, of an Etruscan stele depicting a divinity of the waters. The warm waters of Bormio were also cited by Pliny the Elder in his famous work Naturalis Historia more than a thousand years ago.
THE THERMOMINERAL SPRINGS OF THE BORMIO AREA
Nowadays there are nine thermal mineral springs known in the Bormio area and all are characterized by evocative names generally linked to the history of these places and these waters. The names of the springs are presumed to have been given in the nineteenth century when, with the inauguration of the Grand Hotel Bagni Nuovi, we saw the flourishing of “nineteenth-century” tourism and the development of “a new economy”. This was based on the one hand on the “conquest and discovery of the mountains” and on the other hand on medical well-being facilitated by the use of beneficial waters and pure air.
Before then, numerous paper documents, often institutional, used more generic terms for the thermal springs such as: waters of the Bagni di Castello, waters of the Bagni di San Martino or, more commonly, acquae Hospitium Balneorum. [1]
[1] I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985).
WHERE ARE THE THERMAL SPRINGS FOUND? WHY IS THE WATER HOT?
The precious thermal springs of the Bormio area all flow within an area of about 10 hectares located approximately between 1300 meters above sea level and 1450 meters above sea level in the locality of “Burroni d’Adda” in the municipality of Valdidentro.
According to researchers, these waters can be classified as “vadose” and “geothermal” thermal mineral springs, that is: surface waters penetrated into the subsoil (up to about 1000/1100 meters deep), heated by the effect of the geothermal gradient, and ascended to the current springs. [2]
The only springs that are open to the public and freely usable today are the Pliniana spring and the San Carlo spring. The other springs, instead, are unreachable or used by the Bormio Spas.
[2] Nel libro: I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985) viene richiamato: P. Berbenni – R. Pozzi, Le sorgenti termominerali dei Bagni di Bormio: osservazioni idrogeologiche, chimiche e chimico-fisiche, Istituto di Geologia dell’Università di Milano (Milano – 1966).
NAMES AND TRIVIA ABOUT THE NINE THERMAL SPRINGS OF BORMIO
-
Spring of San Martino
With its spring at about 1450 meters above sea level and an average temperature ranging between 39 and 42 degrees centigrade, it is the “highest” among the Bormio area thermal springs and is located at the bottom of the sweat cave of Bagni Vecchi called the cave of San Martino.
Historical records report that in 1860 the cave ended near the current fork in the tunnel and there were three different streams. One of these would have been discovered on August 15, 1860, the day when Prince Umberto of Savoy visited the Baths of Bormio accompanied by his brother. In memory of the particular circumstance, the small spring was then nicknamed the “stream of Prince Umberto”. [3]
-
Spring of the Arciduchessa (Archduchess) or of Bagni Romani (Roman Baths)
This source is dedicated to the Archduchess of Austria who in June 1590 stayed at the “Bagni di Bormio” with her children and her court. The hot thermal waters of this stream, with an average temperature of 39-40 degrees centigrade, gush out at about 1420 meters above sea level. Today this thermal spring feeds the Roman Baths and, through artificial canals, the Spa of Bagni Nuovi. [4]
-
Spring Zampillo dei Bambini (Gush of Children)
With an average temperature of 38-40 degrees centigrade, the thermal waters of this spring gush out at about 1410 meters above sea level. Currently this source, together with that of the Arciduchessa and Cassiodoro, feeds the Bagni Nuovi Spa.
-
Cassiodoro spring
This spring is dedicated to Cassiodorus (Roman politician, scholar and historian) who, commissioned by the Ostrogothic King Theodatus, in 535 AD wrote to Count Visnaudo (brave warrior and governor of Pavia) inviting him to the Bagni di Bormio for a thermal treatment.
With an average temperature of 36-39 degrees centigrade, the thermal waters of this spring gush out at about 1400 meters above sea level and come out of the rock in a place that has always been extremely difficult to access. Until the first half of the nineteenth century, given the harshness of the place, the warm waters of this source formed a waterfall that tumbled into the ravine below. Currently this spring, together with that of the Arciduchessa and the Zampillo dei Bambini, is channelled to the Bagni Nuovi. [5]
[3] Nel libro: I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985) viene richiamato: A. De Planta – Reichenau, Analisi chimica delle acque termali di Bormio della Valtellina (Coira – 1860).
[4] I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985).
[5] I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985).
-
Spring of San Carlo or “Water of the Eyes”
Popular tradition for centuries has identified this water as beneficial for the eyes and sight and, as evidence of this, it is recalled how in the past the water from this spring was used as eye drops. The dedication to San Carlo is more recent and dates back to the time of the terrible plague epidemic of 1630 when many churches and religious institutes were dedicated to the same saint. (It should be remembered that the plague of 1630 miraculously left the county of Bormio immune, not registering even a single case of contagion). [6]
With a low flow rate and an average temperature of 18-19 degrees centigrade, the thermal waters of this spring gush out at about 1400 meters above sea level. This spring is the coldest of the nine thermal springs in Bormio and its water is slightly gaseous due to the presence of carbonic acid. It also contains ferrous carbonate and leaves a slight ocher-coloured deposit. This thermal water is still used today as a healthy drink and, by some, for the natural treatment of the ocular conjunctiva. [7]
-
Pliniana spring
Dedicated to the naturalist philosopher Pliny the Elder, this spring is located at an altitude of about 1380 meters above sea level at the end of the walk of the same name within the “Parco dei Bagni”. The “Fonte Pliniana” has an almost constant temperature of about 38 degrees centigrade over the course of the year. Authorized for bottling in 1923, water from the Pliniana spring was sold and exported as table water until the second post-war period as far as the distant United States of America. In fact, between all nine thermal sources, this water is bacteriologically very pure, free of mud and more radioactive. [8]
-
Spring of the Ostrogoti (Ostrogoths)
With an average temperature of 34-35 degrees centigrade, the thermal waters of this spring gush out at an altitude of about 1380 meters in an almost unreachable place. Also due to the inaccessibility of the spring, the waters of this source have never been used.
-
Nibelunghi spring
With an average temperature of 35-37 degrees centigrade, the thermal waters of this spring gush out at an altitude of about 1370 meters in an almost unreachable place. Also due to the inaccessibility of the spring, the waters of this source have never been used.
-
Cinglaccia spring
With a flow rate of about 30 liters per second, and an average temperature of 37-40 degrees centigrade, the thermal waters of this spring gush out at an altitude of 1307 meters in the Bocche d’Adda area. This place was once called “Cinglaccia”. [9] This spring, the largest of all nine springs, is channeled up to the town of Bormio where it is used by the Bormio Terme Spa by permission of the four municipalities (Bormio, Valdisotto, Valdidentro, Valfurva).
[6] Estratto di Le Acque della Valtellina (Edizione a cura di Livio Dei Cas e Leo Schena – Giornate Bormiesi di Cardiologia) Testo di I. Silvestri.
[7] I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985).
[8] I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985).
[9] I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985).
MEDICINAL AND THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF THE BORMIO AREA’S THERMAL WATERS
The healing properties of the Bormio area’s thermal waters have for centuries boasted an importance and a reputation of the highest level confirmed by a rich literature and testimonies dating back to the very distant past. These waters, thanks to their chemical and chemical-physical characteristics, have a multitude of therapeutic benefits and are classified as mineral – sulphate – bicarbonate – alkaline-earth and naturally hot thermal waters.
Therapeutic benefits
Among the main therapeutic benefits are those of the treatment and prevention of respiratory diseases such as sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis. These beneficial waters are also very curative for some skin diseases as well as for the treatment of some affections of the genital sphere. Regarding this specific care, it should be noted that, although the waters have benefits, it is no longer practiced by the Bormio area’s spas. The thermal water of Bormio can also be drunk. The drink has a medicinal action on the digestive system and especially on inflammation of the stomach and intestines (especially the water from the Pliniana Spring). The thermal water of the Bormio area is also helpful in cases of post-traumatic rehabilitation from fractures. [10]
History
In Dante Sosio’s book “I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli” (pp 184 – 185) we also find these interesting words that we quote in full: In a medical-informative pamphlet dated 1612, among the prodigious effects of the thermal waters, we read that “they heal sciatic pains, arthritic pains and gout. They help those suffering from apoplexy, heal or solve tumors, hardness or pain in the joints “…
[10] Fonte sito internet di Bormio Terme e “I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei Secoli di Dante Sosio” (ed. 1985).
USE OF THERMAL WATER – THERMAL TREATMENTS
Bormio Terme is the only spa in Bormio where it is possible to carry out Spa treatments recognized by the Italian national health system. The beneficial thermal water of the Cinglaccia spring, the source that feeds Bormio Terme, is used for various treatments. Among the main thermal medical treatments offered are balneotherapy, mud therapy, inhalations and aerosol. At Bormio Terme it is also possible to take advantage of other important treatments not affiliated with the national health system such as the vascular path, physiotherapy and physiotherapy rehabilitation in thermal water.
Useful numbers – Bormio Terme, +39 0342.901325
USE OF THERMAL WATER FOR WASCHING ANIMALS
Since ancient times, thermal waters were not for the exclusive use of humans. In this regard, it should be remembered that until the nineteenth century, under the church of San Martino in Bagni Vecchi there was a tank dedicated to horses where the animals were washed in thermal water to restore them from the fatigue of long journeys.
Shepherd’s hut
At the Bagni Nuovi there was also the “Bagn de li bescia” (sheep bath) consisting of two large pools of thermal water of different depths. In the first tank, the sheep were washed before shearing, while in the second tank the horses were washed. Next to the tubs was the “Shepherd’s hut”, a modest dressing room where shepherds could change after bathing to wash the animals. Nowadays the ancient tubs have been transformed into swimming pools for the guests of the Bagni Nuovi but, however, as required by the ancient treaties, the tubs for bathing sheep and horses have been rebuilt a few tens of meters further away from the original ones.
HOW MANY ARE THE STRUCTURES TO ENJOY THE BORMIO SPA?
The spas in Bormio are synonymous with health, well-being, relaxation and quality of service that can be enjoyed in three different locations: Bormio Terme, QC Terme Bagni Vecchi and QC Terme Bagni Nuovi.
Bormio Terme
Bormio Terme, just 300 meters from Albergo Adele, is the spa dedicated to families and sportspeople. There is a large area dedicated to spa treatments, physiotherapy and rehabilitation as well as the wellness area
QC Terme Bagni di Bormio – Bagni Vecchi and Bagni Nuovi
Bagni Nuovi and Bagni Vecchi are two distinct internationally renowned spa centers. Inside the spas there are thermal paths characterized by numerous high quality services, including paths with water jets and chromotherapy, saunas with different temperatures and sizes, Turkish baths and relaxation areas.
In general
All three spa facilities in Bormio are fed by the Bormio area’s hot springs and offer various pools that can be used all year round, both indoors and outdoors, with whirlpools and water jets. There are also gardens (larger in Bormio Terme and QC Terme Bagni Nuovi), relaxation areas and beauty centers for body, face and massage treatments.
BORMIO TERME: THE SPA IN THE CENTER OF BORMIO TOWN
Founded in 1920, the Bormio Terme company stands out for being the only spa in Bormio town and for its public-private property in which the public part [11] represents the largest share of the shareholding. This spa is mainly dedicated to families and sportspeople. It is the ideal spa for a few hours of relaxation and well-being and offers the main swimming pool in the district. In addition to the large pool dedicated to swimming, there are also indoor and outdoor pools with whirlpools and water jets.
Also designed for families with children, Bormio Terme offers thermal baths dedicated to children. There is also a water slide. For those over 16, there is also the “thermarium” wellness area, a reserved area with limited access, where you can relax in peace while enjoying saunas, a Turkish bath and a small indoor and outdoor thermal pool.
Bormio Terme and his spa treatments
Bormio Terme is a specialized center for spa treatments recognized by the Italian national health system. In addition to the main spa treatments, such as balneotherapy, mud therapy, inhalations and aerosols, there is also an important sector dedicated to physiotherapy and rehabilitation, including the very effective physiotherapy in thermal water. Since 2021 Bormio Terme has enriched its technical-sports-rehabilitation offer with the help of machinery and technology from Tecnobody.
Visitors also appreciate the beauty center where it is possible to carry out body, face and massage treatments. Bormio Terme has a small shop inside where you can buy what you need to access the thermal services.
Please note that bathing suits and swimming caps are required to access the sports and wellness area of Bormio Terme (swimming pool area).
The entrance ticket does not include a bath towel or shower products.
Useful number – Bormio Terme, +39 0342.901325
[11] Comuni Sociali (Bormio – Valdidentro – Valdisotto – Valfurva).
QC TERME BAGNI VECCHI
The Bagni Vecchi have always been the thermal baths of Bormio. Built directly on the site of the springs, they have mixed history and well-being for more than 1000 years. Highly appreciated and characteristic of this spa are: the San Martino sweat cave (a natural Turkish bath unique of its kind in all the Alps), and the “Bagni Romani” (two fascinating thermal baths dug into the rock of the Braulio gorge).
The symbol of QC Terme Bagni Vecchi is also its outdoor swimming pool with whirlpools, a real panoramic balcony over the entire valley. Not to be missed are the Archduchess’s regenerating path and the numerous saunas and Turkish baths. Many other surprises await you on a relaxing day at QC Terme Bagni Vecchi.
It should be noted that entry to QC Terme Bagni Vecchi is not allowed for children under the age of 14. To spend a day at the Bagni Vecchi you only need a bathing suit. The entrance ticket includes a bath towel and shower products.
For more information – QC Terme Bagni di Bormio – Bagni Vecchi, +39 0342.910131
QC TERME BAGNI NUOVI
QC Terme Bagni Nuovi is a modern and renowned spa located inside the Grand Hotel Bagni Nuovi, an Art Nouveau hotel built in the 1820s. This spa offers numerous opportunities among which the indoor and outdoor thermal baths, as well as saunas and Turkish baths stand out. The outdoor garden is also precious and prestigious, characterized by its wide open spaces and large swimming pool. This spa is recommended for a day of wellness outdoors with a panoramic view of Mount Reit and the mountains of the area.
It should be noted that entry to QC Terme Bagni Nuovi is not allowed for children under the age of 14. To spend a day at the Bagni Vecchi you only need a bathing suit. The entrance ticket includes a bath towel and shower products.
For more information – QC Terme Bagni di Bormio – Bagni Nuovi, +39 0342.910131
SPAS IN BORMIO, WHICH TO CHOOSE?
Before answering this question we want to say that all three spas in the Bormio area are highly appreciated, recently renovated and of the highest quality. 99% of guests who attend Bormio’s spas, while expressing their own subjective taste preference for one establishment rather than another, never declare themselves dissatisfied with any of them. This, in our opinion, confirms the great quality of the product offered by the Bormio area’s spas.
BORMIO TERME OR QC TERME BAGNI DI BORMIO?
The QC Terme Bagni di Bormio spas offer a high level service mainly aimed at an adult audience. Bagni Nuovi and Bagni Vecchi have numerous tubs, saunas and Turkish baths, all generally small in size and dedicated mainly to couples or small groups of friends. Bormio Terme, on the other hand, offers large spaces for families and a more “sporty” public. Bormio Terme has a lower entrance cost linked to a “less exclusive” service.
The comparison that we often find ourselves making is that between an excellent trattoria and a Michelin starred restaurant, where in both the product is of absolute excellence but the context and presentation of the dishes are different.
Which of the two spa companies (QC Terme or Bormio Terme) to try? Both!
QC TERME BAGNI NUOVI OR QC TERME BAGNI VECCHI?
QC Terme Bagni Nuovi and QC Terme Bagni Vecchi are facilities of the same company and both offer services of the same level.
The substantial difference between Bagni Nuovi and Bagni Vecchi is the place where they are located and the greater breadth of spaces (especially the outdoor garden) at the Bagni Nuovi. In the “hot” seasons, the external garden of the Bagni Nuovi is unquestionably a great added value.
The historicity of the Bagni Vecchi makes the place unique and not replicable in any other place in the world.
Which one to choose between QC Terme Bagni Nuovi and QC Terme Bagni Vecchi? Both of them!
WHEN TO VISIT THE BORMIO SPAS?
The Bormio spas are accessible all year round. For those wishing to relax in the warm thermal waters, even in the low season (the best to enjoy the spa!), at least one of its three prestigious spas is always open.
HOW TO REACH THE BORMIO SPAS FROM ALBERGO ADELE?
Bormio Terme
Bormio Terme is just 300 meters far from the hotel and can therefore be easily reached on foot. Leaving the car park of the hotel, go up to the right on the main road. At the first intersection, turn left and then, on the new road (via San Sebastiano), take the second road on the right (via Don Angelo Moltrasio). A little further on you will find the entrance to Bormio Terme.
To Bagni Nuovi (about 2 kilometers by car from Albergo Adele)
To Bagni Nuovi (about 2 kilometers by car from Albergo Adele): leaving the car park of the hotel, turn right and go uphill along via monte Braulio until you reach the intersection with the Stelvio state road. Take the national road of Stelvio going uphill and continue on it until the next hairpin bend where you leave the main road and continue straight on the Foscagno state road 301 towards Livigno. After about 400 meters, turn right onto via Bagni Nuovi and continue on it until you reach the spa.
To Bagni Vecchi (about 3 kilometers by car from da Albergo Adele)
To Bagni Vecchi (about 3 kilometers by car from Albergo Adele), leaving the car park of the hotel, turn right and go uphill straight along via monte Braulio until you reach the intersection with the Stelvio state road. Take the Stelvio state road going uphill and continue on it until you meet (after just over 2 kilometers) a short rock tunnel. Cross the tunnel and at its end turn left downhill. A few tens of meters further you will reach the Bagni Vecchi spa.
Note: It is also possible to park before the tunnel and then continue on foot.
Enjoy your time to the Spas of Bormio!!
By all the staff of Albergo Adele Bormio
Source of the texts
- I Bagni di Bormio nel corso dei secoli (Dante Sosio – 1985)
- Estratto di Le Acque della Valtellina (Edizione a cura di Livio Dei Cas e Leo Schena – Giornate Bormiesi di Cardiologia) written by I. Silvestri
- Bormio Terme – web site and other informations
- QC Terme Bagni di Bormio – web site and other informations
Photos
- Archive Albergo Adele Bormio.
- Archive QC Terme Bagni di Bormio.
- Archive Bormio Terme.
- Archive Centro Studi Storici Alta Valtellina.
- Archive Castello D’Albertis Museo delle Culture del Mondo, with kind permission of Centro Studi Storici Alta Valtellina
Thanks to their helps and advise: Bormio Terme, Centro Studi Storici Alta Valtellina, QC Terme Bagni di Bormio.
Text edited by Stefano Bedognè e Susy Canclini
English translation by Paul Faller and Stefano Bedognè
COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL POLICIES – UPDATED Jan. 14th 2021
All contents of this blog (text, graphic elements, images, pictures, videos, etc.) are exclusive property of Stefano Bedognè and Albergo Adele s.a.s. and they are protected by Italian and International copyright laws. Therefore only viewing is allowed. Copying, either partial or total, will be allowed only after explicit request and authorization. In this case it must be indicated on the copy the source: www.albergoadele.it. Any other use (distribution or publication for profit, modification, processing in any way or form, etc.) will be considered unauthorized and will be prosecuted by law.
The information provided on this page, on our website and on the blog in general, are finalized to promote the touristic and cultural opportunities of Bormio and Valtellina but they are not substitutions in any way for professional accompaniment or the direct consultation of professional workers.
The authors, although checking with greatest attention all of the contents of this website, also in terms of uptades, don’t take any responsibility for any potential problem that could happen related to misuse use of the site, including information on this website or other related websites. Albergo Adele s.a.s. and Stefano Bedognè, unless otherwise stated by the law, can not be considered in any way responsible for damages, direct or indirect, caused by accessing this website, the inability or impossibility of access, and trusting in the information contained within and by the use of that.