Showcase Great Spas of Europe

UNESCO Weltkulturerbe

Not only emperors, kings and tsars, but also poets, intellectuals and the aristocracy – in short, Europe’s high society – came here to indulge in upscale idleness. We are talking about the great spas, from Spa in Belgium, whose name today presides over a whole category, to no less resonant places such as the French Vichy, the Czech Karlsbad or Baden-Baden in Germany.


Eleven of the most culturally important spa towns have come together under the name Great Spas of Europe and have been nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Among these are the glamourous spas and resorts that shaped the phenomenon of travel and spa society in Europe in the 19th century. With their springs and wells, they stood and still stand for the promotion of balneological health and at the same time, they were and are places where art, culture and well-being were celebrated, long before the concept of wellnesswas trendy. These baths have launched modern tourism and are the only pan-European type of colony that developed culturally on par with the major metropolises.


Together with the managers of the eleven cities, we worked out in an intensive strategic process to determine what makes these spas special, and on this basis developed the brand image and the communication concept. The corporate design reflects the essence of the Great Spas of Europe in a characteristic way: the elegant logo is based on a historic Antiqua typeface, whose origin coincides with the period of the emergence of spas. The dominant color royal blue stands not only for the clear and refreshing water of the springs, but also for tradition and aristocratic elegance. The blue ribbon symbolically seizes the transnational relationship of the participating locations and extends a consistent and, at the same time, highly flexible design element through all media. The communication concept is first implemented as a poster campaign with illustrious testimonials: cited are important artists, composers and statesmen who regularly sought inspiration and strength for their work in the Great Spas of Europe. The combination of portraits, quotes, and the steadily consistent blue ribbon, stands for the connection between body and mind, health and culture, tradition and innovation - and thus for the philosophy of the Great Spas of Europe that lives on to this day.


MüllerValentini together with the responsible team underwent an intensive strategy and brand process and worked out the specialties of these spa towns. We also developed the branding and communication concept. In implementation workshops, the stakeholders of the cities were brought into the process and familiarized with the brand. It was important to create an awareness of the brand within the cities, so that the brand was not only visible from the outside, but could also be lived within.


Client: Great Spas of Europe (Baden Baden, Bad Ems, Bad Kissingen, Baden bei Wien, Bath, Karlsbad, Marienbad, Franzenbad, Montecatini, Spa, Vichy)
Services: Research, analysis, brand strategy, brand character, brand positioning, brand architecture, workshops, corporate identity, communication strategy, guidelines, web design, corporate and editorial design, implementation, photography, media such as flyers / brochures / posters, brand activation, change management, stakeholder presentations