The Great Spa Towns of Europe Association: General Assembly to run in Mariánské Lázně as the 2025 spa season begins

May 2025

Members of The Great Spa Towns of Europe (GSTE) Association will meet in Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic, for a series of meetings and site visits, including their General Assembly from 8th – 9th May 2025 at the invitation of the Mayor of Mariánské Lázně, Martin Hurajčík.

This meeting precedes the official opening of Spa Season 2025 from Friday 9th May – Sunday 11th May. The opening of the spa season has a long-standing tradition in Mariánské Lázně. The weekend celebrations include the blessing of the springs, a ceremonial parade, a concert by the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, a mass and a rich accompanying programme of festivities.

The voices of the next generation will be brought forward through the INTERSPACE project (Inter-Spa Town Celebration of European Heritage) and its new Youth Forum. A representative group of young people will present their ideas for the future and their perspectives on policymaking to the Mayors of The GSTE and States Parties Representatives at the General Assembly.

Martin Hurajčík, Mayor of Mariánské Lázně, said:

“It is a great honour and joy for us to welcome the General Assembly of Thee Great Spa Towns of Europe Association to Mariánské Lázně at the time of the ceremonial opening of the spa season. For centuries, our city has been a meeting place for cultures, ideas and generations – and I believe that this tradition will also be reflected in this year’s meeting. We are proud to host delegations from eleven major European spa towns and offer them not only the beauty of our springs and architecture, but also a space for a deeper discussion about the future of European spas. This year, we are placing special emphasis on the involvement of young people – their views and proposals are an inspiration and proof for us that the spa tradition can not only be preserved, but also enriched with new energy and vision. I believe that Mariánské Lázně will become a place of true European dialogue, where the past and the future come together in harmony.”

Chiara Ronchini, Secretary General of The Great Spa Towns of Europe, said:

“Coming together in Mariánské Lázně for our General Assembly as the spa season begins is truly special. The timing could not be more symbolic – as we witness the blessing of the springs, we also welcome the fresh perspectives of our young citizens through the INTERSPACE Youth Forum. Their engagement with our shared heritage demonstrates that the European spa tradition continues to evolve while remaining true to its historic roots. The Youth Forum exemplifies what our World Heritage inscription has always represented – collaboration across borders and generations.”

Expert discussion on the future of spa heritage, its protection and sustainable development will take place during the Heritage Forum on Friday 9th May. Panel talks and discussions from experts in the fields of heritage conservation, urbanism and tourism will cover today’s pressing topics in heritage; ‘Youth Participation at the Policy Table: Potentials & Limits’, followed by ‘Tools for Effective Monitoring of Heritage Conservation Status’ and, finally, ‘Transitional Trends in Architecture and Urbanism.’ These will be held in English, with Czech interpretation.

Delegates will also visit the newly-restored Singing Fountain, the WWII Fallen Memorial and take part in a ‘Planting Trees for Peace’ ceremony, with the British Chargé d Affair, Kate Davenport OBE. The Singing Fountain has been one of the iconic sights of Mariánské Lázně since it opened in 1986 with its spectacular displays of gushing waters, sprouting in careful choreography to classical and modern music. The well-known Czech composer Petr Hapka composed the first tune, ‘Music for the Fountain’. Accordingly, Mariánské Lázně honoured Hapka at the ceremonial opening of the spa season in 2017 by unveiling a bronze bust. An icon and a pioneer of light water shows in Europe, the Singing Fountain will open the spa season again with a dramatic show, featuring compositions only played on special occasions.

The INTERSPACE project, funded by the European Union through the CERV Town Twinning Programme, gathers young people from across The Great Spa Towns of Europe to engage them with World Heritage and their shared spa culture through activities, tours and workshops.

In the spirit of co-design, it gave the reins to the young people to shape a Youth Forum. This recognises that the next generation are the current residents and future custodians of our World Heritage Sites. Bringing young citizens into decision-making about the management of the towns they live in not only recognises the value of their ideas, but ensures fairness and sparks their enthusiasm for protecting irreplaceable cultural traditions.

Their trip to Mariánské Lázně is a return twinning trip following the successful three-day educational programme in Baden bei Wien in November 2024, which ran alongside The GSTE’s autumn General Assembly. Meanwhile, online workshops have been running throughout the year to maintain the project, facilitated by Czech-based interdisciplinary practice Socionaut. The young citizens work in a manner that exemplifies European cooperation, in the same way spa culture has connected nations in the past.

This varied programme is possible thanks to the financial support of the Karlovy Vary Region, Mariánské Lázně, Ministry of Culture and Ensana Hotels.