The good folks at the Lonely Planet say that the Roman Baths were built in a “ostentatious” style… but we are all the beneficiaries of that style. This Roman built bathhouse sits above Bath’s 115 degree hot springs. Set alongside a temple dedicated to the healing goddess Sulis-Minerva, the baths now form one of the world’s best-preserved ancient Roman spas, and are encircled by 18th and 19th- century buildings.
For thousands of years, humans have marveled at the hot water that bubbles out of the earth on this spot. In ancient Roman times, high society enjoyed soaking in the mineral springs, and they build a large bathhouse around it. From Londinium, Romans traveled so often to Aquae Sulis, as the city was called, to “take a bath” that finally it became known simply as… Bath.
Today, a fine museum surrounds the ancient bathhouse. You’ll wander past Roman artifacts, a temple pediment with an evocative bearded face, a bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva, excavated ancient foundations and the actual mouth of the health-giving spring. At the end, you’ll have a chance to walk around the big, steaming pool itself, where Romans once lounged, splashed, and thanked the gods for the gift of therapeutic hot water.