Hot Tub City of Ourense

We took an overnight stop in the City of Ourense, home to half a dozen natural thermal springs, first “claimed as medicinal” by the Romans, who named the city Auria.

The city stands on a hillside, made up of a large modern shopping and a University, the medieval centre with its Cathedral and its old Roman bridge and then its all surrounded by large hotels, small restaurants and tavernas, all neatly fitted together. If you looked at some of buildings in the Plazas, surrounded by enclosed balconies, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in York!

The main tourist attractions are the hot springs, as Ourense holds one of the greatest amount of geothermal water in Europe. There are several places called pozas, with or without entrance fee (only 5 each to include showers, shower gel and privacy from the public) where you can have a bath outdoors. One of them is located inside the old town as per the ancient Roman tradition, as ruins of a Roman bath were discovered and are now open to visitors. There are several more hot springs located along the river Miño where baths are at different temperatures, ranging from 35 – 70 degrees Celsius. We spent one day in the city and the next at the spas!