3 Best Sights in France

The naturally heated sulfur water here was particularly popular among 19th-century aristocrats who arrived in Cauterets to \"take the cure.\" Today, it’s still used to alleviate rheumatism and respiratory maladies (three-week treatments can even be covered by French national health insurance). In keeping with modern trends, however, the station thermale now caters to guests who simply want to relax. Les Bains du Rocher has a genuine spa aesthetic and offers massages, facials, aqua-gym sessions, and, of course, soaks in hot healing pools both inside and outside.

This therapeutic station thermale is certified by the French Ministry of Health to treat digestive, urinary, and metabolic problems, as well as rheumatism. Three-week \"cures\" are prescribed by doctors and covered by national health insurance (for French citizens only). But foreign visitors can sign up for weight-loss retreats or simply enjoy a restorative stint in healing baths filled with 39°C (102°F) water that comes from nearly 1,300 feet below the surface.

Warm natural springs first discovered under the leadership of Sextius, the Thermes now house the glass walls of an ultramodern health spa. The small fountain in the interior marks the warm spring of the original 18th-century establishment. Today, the facility's offerings include a great gym, pressure showers, mud treatments, and underwater massages.