Fontaine Chaude de Dax

Dax

In the centre of Dax — the Romans' Aquae Tarbellicae, already renowned for its waters — this great steaming basin ringed by arcades collects water that gushes out at around 64 °C after a long underground journey, at a rate of several million litres a day: enough, historically, to supply the baths of France's leading spa destination. The monumental setting dates from the 19th century, but passers-by come to dip their hands in it, as people have probably done here for two millennia. The founding legend of Dax's thermal cure, told to each generation of patients, has it that a Roman legionary, setting off on campaign, abandoned his old dog, crippled with rheumatism, on the banks of the Adour — and found it on his return bounding about like a young pup, cured by the warm mud of the river, whose virtues the town still exploits; a bronze statue of the legionary and his dog commemorates the story in town. Pilgrims on the Tours route, who stopped at Dax before walking on towards the Pyrenees, found here relief for their legs, a stone's throw from the cathedral, which also features in the app.

Wikipédia — Fontaine chaude de Dax ↗

Getting there : Free access, Place de la Fontaine-Chaude, right in the town centre, 200 m from the cathedral

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound