The discovery of a hot spring in the early twentieth century had motivated the opening of a first spa in the ducal city. But the neo-classical building designed by the architect Louis Lanternier, inaugurated in 1913, had remained unfinished following the Great War.

"With this complex, Nancy takes up the thread of an exceptional history," said the mayor, Mathieu Klein (PS). "Today, Nancy is reconnecting with Art Nouveau, the neighborhood has metamorphosed, the pool is a jewel."

This image shows the spa part of Nancy Thermal, March 30, 2023 © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP

The new complex is the sixth spa resort in Lorraine: with its 20,000 m2 dedicated to care, well-being but also leisure, Nancy is part of the Grand Est network of hydrotherapy, joining the five historic establishments of the Vosges (Plombières-les-Bains, Bains-les-Bains, Contrexéville, Vittel) as well as Amnéville in Moselle, and in the European network of large spa towns.

The architect Anne Démians has applied herself to create a dialogue between the modernity of the extension and the older heritage, in a harmonious ensemble nestled in the heart of the city, on the outskirts of Sainte-Marie Park.

This image shows the spa part of Nancy Thermal, March 30, 2023 © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP

Nancy Thermal will welcome its audience in three stages. On Saturday, the first visitors were able to access the indoor and outdoor 50-meter pools as well as discover the Aquasports area with its slides, pentagliss, climbing wall and water games for the little ones.

"A trump card"

It will then be necessary to wait until April 15 to relax in the Wellness area and its hotel residence, which offers a thermal spa of 895 m2 of pools entirely based on thermal water, accessible all year round, with saunas and hammams articulated around its historic round pool completely renovated.

The Health Area will open on May 15. Dedicated to thermal cures, it will include a multifunctional pool, a mobilization pool, a walking corridor in the water, a rest area and more than 70 treatment rooms. More than 2,000 people have already booked.

This image shows the care part and the round pool of Nancy Thermal, March 30, 2023 © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP

Already having an accreditation in rheumatology, he is in the process of obtaining within a year and a half that in phlebology and is working to be able to treat respiratory diseases.

Ultimately, the goal is to welcome 15,000 spa guests per year, who will stay for treatment for 18 days.

"For the people of Nancy, it's a great source of pride," said Mathieu Klein. "But also a great responsibility: Nancy Thermal is 250 direct jobs hired in the long term by ValVital for the operation of the center, 1,000 indirect jobs and a whole local economic fabric that is also being prepared."

This image shows the care part and the round pool of Nancy Thermal, March 30, 2023 © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP

"It is a great ambition to make Nancy a spa town: it is a trump card to attract a clientele of tourists from all over the France and even beyond our borders," said the president of the Grand Est region, Franck Leroy.

A key sector of the local economy, tourism is a priority for the recovery and economic development plan of the Greater Nancy Metropolis.

This image shows the care part of Nancy Thermal, March 30, 2023 © Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / AFP

"We have here an additional asset that justifies our requirements being increased: a thermal center like this one, halfway between the Vosges thermal route and that of the Moselle, can quite seduce Luxembourg demand because the quality of the reception makes it possible to position our region advantageously on this market," also noted Mr. Leroy.

© 2023 AFP