It was the Romans who, with their love for hot baths and steam, were first to fully exploit the thermal springs that emerge from deep underground in modern-day Aix-les-Bains. It was in 131 BC when the Romans first took the plunge, but in the 2,000 years separating their arrival and ours, Aix-les-Bains has remained enduringly popular. That popularity peaked in the 19th century when the town attracted a global glitterati.
The clean Alpine air and healing powers of the waters persuaded kings, queens, wealthy industrialists, financiers, artists, writers and musicians to make their way to the shores of Lac du Bourget. Perhaps the most famous of them all was Queen Victoria, for whom this was a favoured holiday spot. She took the waters here in the 1880s under a pseudonym, the Countess of Balmoral.
Victoria is said to have loved the spa treatments so much, she hired one of her masseuses to return with her to the UK. There’s a statue of Victoria in the town centre. The grandeur is a little faded these days, but Aix-les-Bains has an undeniable charm. It was a little hard to enjoy it on a day when temperatures reached 36ºC, definitely not weather for jumping into a hot spring. Still, the grand hotels and houses in their Belle Epoque finery give an indication of those former glories.
We’d walked along the lakeside path from Brison-Saint-Innocent to the Grand Port d’Aix filled with lake going boats, and along the splendid tree-lined Esplanade du Lac. It’s a pleasant car free walk with wonderful lake views. The town proper is still a couple of kilometres away and it was too hot to walk. We hopped on a bus and went in search of lunch. Eventually, we found a shaded outdoor table close to the statue of the Countess of Balmoral.
This is the true centre of Aix-les-Bains, and after lunch we wandered slowly around quiet streets and took in the sights. Sadly, the Anciens Thermes Nationaux, formerly one of the grandest spas, was under renovation and closed. The art deco exterior had seen better days. Nearby are some remaining bits of the Roman town, the Arc de Campanus and the Temple of Diana, next to the 15th century Hôtel de Ville.
Just around the corner is the Casino Grand Cercle. Originally constructed in 1824, it claims the honour of being France’s first ever casino. The current version was built in 1850. This Belle Epoque classic was inaugurated by no less a personage than King Victor Emmanuel II, who would become the first King of Italy and ruled this bit of Savoy at a time when it was still part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
I walked up through the Parc du Bois Vidal, which gives splendid views over the town, and descended down past some magnificent Belle Epoque buildings until I reached the modern spa resort of Thermes Chevalley. It’s claimed that the water here provide cures for all manner of ailments, from digestive disorders to cardio-arterial illness. That’s quite impressive for water.
After a couple of hours exploring under a hot sun, we made our way back to the Grand Port d’Aix. There are a number of bars and restaurants along the waterfront, and this is where many of the lake cruises depart from. We booked tickets to visit Hautecombe Abbey the following day.
Notes from Camelid Country 