Sometimes you travel to the other side of the world without realizing what a rich history your own country has: my visit to Spa. You do not stand half naked every day in front of a strange woman with a garden hose that got out of hand.

In the middle of the Ardennes is one of the oldest and most touristic destinations in Belgium. For those who love old grandeur and the melancholy of old spas, Spa is an excellent destination. This beautiful old town reminds you of extensive soirees, women in ball gowns and men in coat and tails. What do you do if you can explore the world without children? Indulging yourself, right? Spa seemed to be the ideal location.

Since the discovery of the springs, Spa has always been an important retreat in Europe. In the past, the rich nobility and bourgeoisie came from all over Europe to recover and to drink from the healing spring water. If you like seeing high society then you had to be in Spa, where the big balls and parties floated around like leaves in autumn. It is not without reason that the city was nicknamed "The Café of Europe" during this period. The old casino and the wide streets accompanied by tall and fancy buildings are still living proofs of this. I admit, nowadays it’s not that fancy anymore, but you can still feel the grandeur and rich history of its past.

You do not stand half naked every day in front of a strange woman with a garden hose that got out of hand.

“Shall I also spray on your belly, sir?"

It happens very rarely that a stranger asks me such intimate questions after five minutes. The young lady in question also asks it without hesitation, unlike me, who reply with a blush on my cheeks: "Oui, merci mademoiselle."

The thermal shower is one of the treatments that has been offered for 150 years in the Thermes of Spa. While a so-called balneotherapist directs a kind of high-pressure jet with lukewarm water on the surface of your body, you willingly undergo the water massage.

The thermal shower would ensure that your nervous system is balanced, your blood flow is activated and the condition of your skin improves. Because of the physical benefits of the cure, it has been a popular treatment in the thermal baths since 1868.

It was the then mayor of Spa, Joseph Servais, who commissioned in 1862 to build a large thermal complex in the Liège provincial town. He wanted to establish Spa as a city of retreat and the thermes would become the most advanced thermal bathhouse then known in Europe.

Since the 16th century, Spa was known for its sources of iron-rich and carbonated water. In the course of the years several small spas had therefore already opened their doors. The rather rich population of Spa, however, wasn't too happy about the arrival of the complex in 1863. They were afraid that the thermal bathhouse would attract many sick people, as thermal treatments then (and now partly) were mainly used for healing purposes. The emphasis of the cures was rather on care than relaxation and was only used by the bourgeoisie because of the expensive prices.

It was especially during the Belle époque that the middle class could also afford thermal cures. The complex in Spa was fortunately prepared for a larger influx. The building included some fifty bath cabins, two halls full of thermal showers and various foot and hydrotherapeutic baths.

The old thermal complex from 1868

In advance, I did not know what to expect from my thermal shower. The spa therapist had explained briefly how the treatment would go, but it does not seem strange to me that I did not immediately see the added value of 'a high-pressure jet of up to 2.5 kg'. I even questioned the mental well-being of the inventor.

"Hang your bathrobe on the hook, sir," the young woman had told me when entering the cabin. "I'll be there soon." As I put my bath slippers on the side, I look at the red-brown tiles on the wall. The once-white tiles are completely discolored by the iron-rich water. They now have a copper-brown psychedelic pattern. I put a hairnet on and wait until the balneotherapist - let us call her Sophie for simplicity – gets behind the control panel.

It is strange to make eye contact with someone who five seconds later directs a pressure washer on your body. "Vous êtes prêt, monsieur?" Sophie asks. I nod and do not know where to look. After all, you do not stand half naked every day in front of a strange woman with a garden hose that got out of hand.

Slowly and with circular movements she sprays the lukewarm water over my shin. I still do not know where to look at: Sophie, the water jet, Sophie, the walls, my feet, Sophie. I nearly start giggling when the water is sploshing on my stomach. Now I certainly do not dare to look at Sophie anymore. The thermal shower balances between tickling and the feeling that you will be full of bruises the next day. More than once, the image of a madman who is sprayed with a water hose crosses my mind.

When Sophie asks me if I want to turn around, I finally understand why the treatment is so popular. The hard jet on your back massages your muscles and for the first time during this treatment, I'm able to relax. You can compare the water with a jet in a subtropical swimming pool: keep your back against it and you don't really feel like swimming anymore. At the moment, it is no problem to stay put for a while longer. It's great. The fact that my legs are ready to collapse every time Sophie points at my knee pit, has just become a formality.

One suspects that the baths remained open during the world wars, but it is unclear to what extent, and who was allowed to enter. After the wars, however, it quickly became clear that valuable copper baths had been stolen from the thermal baths. To this day, the copper baths from 1868 are still used for treatments: les bains carbogazeuses, or carbonated baths.

For the treatment, the spa uses the Marie Henriëtte water source, named after the wife of King Leopold II. The natural carbonated and ferrous mineral water has reportedly spoiled many well-known guests over the years. In addition to the Queen, Tsar Peter the Great and the writer Victor Hugo, among others, would have had a carbonated treatment at Spa.

I am waiting for my next treatment. Meanwhile, several couples and groups of friends pass through the corridors of the care complex. Previously there were separate parts for men and women in most spas, but now they all run together in the same white bathrobe and white slippers through the thermal spaces.

I almost fell asleep on one of the many lounge beds when Sophie taps me on my shoulders. She comes to get me for my carbonated bath. 'It is better to take off your trunks, otherwise the iron in the water can affect its color.' She closes the door. I pull off my swimsuit and I slide into the copper bath, buck naked.

Thousands of small bubbles have now nestled on my body. It looks like I have some kind of rare skin disease. In the background there is some meditative pan-flute music. Since Buddha can no longer be absent in any relaxing setting these days, his image watches over me from the windowsill.

At first, I cannot get rid of the question of what is different about the carbonated baths than a regular soak in my bathtub. The smell of the iron in the water is also difficult to ignore. This treatment would reduce stress and widen the blood vessel. I do not notice much of it. I step out of the tub and dry myself. At least one advantage: my skin has become remarkably softer.

After the two traditional treatments I also get a full body massage and facial care. It is striking how more relaxed I come from the massage chair compared to the thermal shower and the carbonated bath. As clichéd millennial I am clearly more satisfied with the modern than the traditional hydro cures, although I found the experience of a 150-year-old treatment definitely worth it.

Floating on my slippers and still wrapped in my soft white bathrobe, I go to the changing rooms. It is clear that here in Spa they know the tricks of the trade. After all, it is with good reason the British started to call their health resorts a spa!