Thermes de Luchon

Bagnères-de-Luchon, known simply as Luchon, sits at 611 metres in a valley of the central Pyrenees and has been a thermal destination since a soldier of Pompey's army is said to have discovered the springs' healing properties around 76 BC. The Romans developed the site in earnest from 25 BC under Tiberius Claudius, carving three pools and building a bathing complex; excavations have since revealed three vast marble-lined pools that once circulated hot air and steam. The town's long-standing motto, 'Balneum Lixonense post Neapolitanum primum' — the baths of Luchon rank first after those of Naples — reflects the prestige the resort held among European thermal towns. The historic Thermes Chambert building was listed as a historic monument in 1977, and the sulphurous springs remain in use today for respiratory and rheumatological treatments.