Thermes de Saint Gervais Mont-Blanc

The Thermes de Saint Gervais Mont-Blanc is a spa organized around thermal springs, located in the valley of the Arve, in the hamlet of Fayet, in the municipality of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in Haute-Savoie.

The thermal baths of Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc have 200 years of turbulent history of discovery, innovation and revival following times of adversity.

In 1805, Saint-Gervais[1] was a rural community with a population of 1,756 Local life centred on farming, fairs, the Sallanches market and religious celebrations.

While not a tourist destination, local shepherds took their herds to graze deep in the Gorges du Bonnant where there was a hot spring that ensured the surrounding vegetation flourished earlier than in other parts of the area.

The site evolved into a prestigious hotel for tourists heading on to Chamonix, hikers setting off for the Mont Blanc Tour and travellers visiting the Alps.

Over a thirty-year period, Joseph-Marie Gontard extended, refurbished and transformed the site, taking on a range of roles from wellness centre manager to hotel owner.

Up until 1815, the establishment offered evidence-based treatment for patients with a range of different illnesses: rheumatic diseases, neuralgia, epilepsy, scurvy, uterine disorders, etc.

In 1838, Joseph-Marie Gontard's establishment was thriving, and he sold the site on to a Belgian doctor, Dr Aloysius-François de Mey.

That same year, the thermal baths of Saint-Gervais began being overseen by the 'permanent mineral water commission' of the Imperial Academy of Medicine'.

Parallel to this, medical inspector Dr Deligny began promoting the benefits of spring water in treatments for children.

Around 200,000 cubic metres of water had accumulated at the Tête Rousse glacier before exploding under the pressure and rushing down towards the Montjoie Valley .

From 1895, thanks to the arrival of the railway line and the Mont Blanc tram, and new hotels and villas popping up across the region, Saint-Gervais entered its golden age and became a holiday destination in its own right.

Several different factors explain why clients stopped coming: competition from the Évian baths and a decrease in the water's effectiveness at the new 1894 establishment, due to the hurried pace at which work had been carried out.

The baths had been brought back to life, but the council didn't have the financial means to support new development projects, and World War II erupted in 1939.

During the war, the establishment continued to receive a handful of clients, and was fitted with an alpine infirmary and medical centre for soldiers.

Faced with financial ruin, in 1946 the Saint-Gervais council decided to sell the site to a Chamonix[9] hotel owner, Mr Roy.

[12] In 1959, the establishment was handed over to a new manager, Armand Califano and his company Société nouvelle des thermes de Saint-Gervais Le Fayet.

The treatments' proven effectiveness on severe burns, the management skills of Armand Califano and his wife, and renovations all contributed to restoring the establishment to its former glory.

After receiving life-saving treatment at the Cochin hospital, she stayed at the Saint-Gervais spa baths all year round, and was monitored by Dr Lépinay.

The group began investing in ushering the spa baths into the modern age, creating new stainless steel piping for the spring water network, refurbishing the beauty institute, setting up an internal laboratory for monitoring the facilities' hygiene levels, etc.

Thanks to thousands of years travelling through the depths of the mountain, the water and its active minerals act on the skin with repairing and soothing effects, in on particular scars and burns.

Its calcium and magnesium content accelerates the formation of the skin's protective barrier, while strontium helps reduce irritation and itching .

It clinically proved the healing and soothing properties of thewater: significant fall in itching, rashes, dry skin, tightness and overheating.