Spa, Belgium
| Spa | ||
|---|---|---|
| Municipality | ||
|
The Casino in Spa | ||
| ||
  Spa Location in Belgium | ||
|
Location of Spa in the province of Liège  | ||
| Coordinates: 50°30′N 05°52′E / 50.500°N 5.867°ECoordinates: 50°30′N 05°52′E / 50.500°N 5.867°E | ||
| Country | Belgium | |
| Community | French Community | |
| Region | Wallonia | |
| Province | Liège | |
| Arrondissement | Verviers | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Joseph Houssa (MR) | |
| • Governing party/ies | MR – cdH-OC | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 39.85 km2 (15.39 sq mi) | |
| Population (1 January 2013)[1] | ||
| • Total | 10,579 | |
| • Density | 270/km2 (690/sq mi) | |
| Postal codes | 4900 | |
| Area codes | 087 | |
| Website | www.spa-info.be | |
Spa (French pronunciation: [spa]) is a municipality in the Walloon Region and Province of Liège, Belgium, in a valley in the Ardennes mountains 35 kilometres (22 miles) southeast of Liège and 45 kilometres (28 miles) southwest of Aachen. In 2006, Spa had a population of 10,543 and an area of 39.85 square kilometres (15.39 square miles), giving a population density of 265 inhabitants per km².
The town gives its name to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts the annual Formula One Belgian Grand Prix. It is also the location of mineral water producer Spa.
Spa hosted the finish of Stage 2 of the 2010 Tour de France on July 5.
History
As the famed site of healing cold springs, Spa has been frequented as a watering-place since as early as the 14th century. Though other sources of healing mineral springs have become famous throughout the world, it is the town of Spa which has become eponymous with any place having a natural water source that is believed to possess special health-giving properties, as a spa. Since the eighteenth century casinos have also been located in the town.
In 1918, the German Army established its principal Headquarters in Spa, and it was from here that the delegates set out for the French lines to meet Marshal Foch and sue for peace in the consultations leading up to the Armistice which ended the First World War. In July 1920 it hosted the Spa Conference, a meeting of the Supreme Council. German delegates were invited to this to discuss war reparations.
Climate
| Climate data for Spa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 4 (40) |
5 (41) |
8 (47) |
12 (53) |
17 (63) |
19 (66) |
21 (69) |
20 (68) |
18 (64) |
13 (56) |
7 (45) |
5 (41) |
12.4 (54.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −1 (30) |
−2 (29) |
1 (33) |
3 (37) |
7 (44) |
9 (49) |
11 (52) |
11 (52) |
9 (48) |
6 (42) |
2 (35) |
−1 (31) |
4.6 (40.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 97 (3.8) |
84 (3.3) |
79 (3.1) |
81 (3.2) |
80 (3) |
99 (3.9) |
112 (4.4) |
99 (3.9) |
84 (3.3) |
94 (3.7) |
99 (3.9) |
109 (4.3) |
1,117 (43.8) |
| Source: Weatherbase [2] | |||||||||||||
Notable residents
- Georges Krins, a violinist on the RMS Titanic.
- Giacomo Meyerbeer, composer, completed here his opera Robert le diable in 1830.
References in popular culture
The 1975 film Barry Lyndon is partly set in Spa during the eighteenth century.
The 1975 film Belle is wholly set in contemporary Spa and its environs.
Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot was born in Spa.
International relations
Twin towns - Sister cities
Spa is twinned with:
See also
References
- ↑ Population per municipality on 1 January 2013 (XLS; 607.5 KB)
- ↑ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Spa, Belgium". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spa, Belgium. |
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