Thuès-les-Bains
Thuès-les-Bains is a hamlet located within the commune of Nyer, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department of southern France. A thermal spa was established there in the 19th century along the banks of the Têt River. Over time, the spa was repurposed into a functional rehabilitation center and later a specialized care facility.[1]
Hot springs in the vicinity have driven the development of thermal tourism in the area. Since the early 21st century, warm-water canyoning activities have been offered in the Faget stream, which flows into the Têt just upstream of the hamlet.[2]
Location and access
[edit]Thuès-les-Bains is administratively part of the commune of Nyer,[3] approximately four kilometers by road from Nyer's village center and less than two kilometers from the neighboring upstream commune of Thuès-Entre-Valls.
The hamlet lies adjacent to the N116 road, connecting Bourg-Madame upstream to Perpignan downstream.[3]
History
[edit]Situated near the historic hot springs of Eixalada, Thuès-les-Bains was originally part of the commune of En until it was merged into Nyer in 1822.[4] The thermal baths were constructed in 1860,[1] during the peak of Pyrenean thermalism, spurred by railway development and promoted by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
Tourism and nearby culture
[edit]Sports activities
[edit]Just upstream from the hamlet, the Faget stream enables warm-water canyoning, even in winter, due to thermal springs with temperatures reaching up to 60 °C (140 °F).[2][5] While the stream is close to Thuès-les-Bains, it lies administratively on the border of Thuès-Entre-Valls.[6]
Saint-André d'Eixalada Monastery
[edit]The Saint-André d'Eixalada Monastery, built in 840 near the hot springs on the right bank of the Têt River, about one kilometer downstream from the current thermal facility, was destroyed by a flood in October 878.[7] Less than forty years after its construction, the monks relocated to found the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Cuxa near Prades. No traces remain of the original Early Middle Ages structures.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bassède, Lluís (1990). Toponymie historique de Catalunya Nord [Historical Toponymy of Northern Catalonia] (in French). Éditions Terra Nostra. p. 115. ISBN 978-2-402-12361-7.
- ^ a b "Cascades d'eaux chaudes, canyon de Thuès, Faget" [Hot waterfalls, Thuès canyon, Faget]. descente-canyon.com (in French). Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ a b "IGN Map: Nyer". Géoportail (in French). Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
Northern boundary of Nyer commune on IGN map; Nyer village is located at center-right; Thuès-les-Bains hamlet is on the left at the communal boundary; hot springs are noted nearby (scale 1:17,055, commune boundary outlined in yellow; zoom out as needed to view Nyer's full communal boundaries).
- ^ Pélissier, Jean-Pierre (1986). Paroisses et communes de France: Pyrénées-Orientales [Parishes and Communes of France: Pyrénées-Orientales] (in French). CNRS Éditions. p. 342. ISBN 978-2-222-03821-4.
- ^ "Canyon d'eau chaude de Thuès – canyoning en hiver" [Thuès warm-water canyon – canyoning in winter]. inextremis-aventura.fr (in French). Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "IGN Map: Faget Stream". Géoportail (in French). Retrieved 6 February 2020.
Location of Faget stream on IGN map, at the boundary of Thuès-Entre-Valls commune, a few hundred meters from Thuès-les-Bains hamlet (scale 1:17,055, commune boundaries in yellow; zoom in once for better stream localization).
- ^ Ponsich, Pierre (1989). Le pays catalan [The Catalan Country] (in French). Vol. 2. Éditions Loubatières. p. 47. ISBN 978-2-86266-115-5.
External links
[edit]
- "Official website of Thuès-Entre-Valls" (in French). Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- "Maison d'accueil spécialisée de Thuès-les-Bains" [Specialized care facility of Thuès-les-Bains] (in French). Retrieved 6 February 2020.