Few places express the relationship between water and civilisation quite like Bath. Its natural thermal springs, the only ones of their kind in Britain, have inspired devotion, invention and architectural ambition since antiquity. The Romans knew the settlement as Aquae Sulis, constructing an elaborate complex of baths and a temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva around waters that rose mysteriously from beneath the earth.

Centuries later, Bath became one of Europe's great fashionable resorts. During the Georgian era, the pursuit of health and pleasure transformed the city into a masterpiece of architecture and urban design. Elegant crescents, sweeping terraces, assembly rooms and landscaped walks created an extraordinary setting for society, culture and the rituals of the cure. Among its physicians, fashionable visitors, artists and writers, the spa became a stage for some of the most colourful characters and ideas of the age.

Bath remains an exceptional living expression of spa culture. Its Roman remains and Georgian townscape have earned international recognition, while contemporary bathing, festivals, museums and cultural institutions continue to animate the city. Recognised twice by UNESCO, including as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe, Bath demonstrates how the presence of extraordinary waters can shape the identity and imagination of an entire city across centuries.