The thermal Spa of Santa Coloma de Farners
The first historical references to the spa of Santa Coloma de Farners are of the nineteenth century, the French War against Napoleon, during which he took to cure the balneáricos soldiers through treatments.

In 1871, the Provincial Board for Health Gerona said the public utility from the memory and analysis doctor who performed, Joaquim Jordà from Barcelona .

After passing through several owners, Spa Baths renamed Orion, that same year, "Termas de Santa Coloma de Farners." In 1981, was a company owned by a number of scientists, doctors and pharmacists from Barcelona. These scholars began to publicize the new entity through testimony from patients and doctors about the healing properties of water, on the one hand and the other through extensive writings in which detailed all the diseases that could be treated there:

"Applied waters on the outer seed coat in the form of bath or shower lever causing him phenomena, manifested by slight increase in color and later by hypersecretion sudoral; fanning these facts by intake of one or two glasses of the same water ".

The most curable diseases were "chronic rheumatism, skin diseases, gastralgias, dyspepsia, sprains, relaxation, ankylosis false, open wounds Projectile."

Over the years, the spa performed three functions at once: as the center of bathrooms, residence for patients and recreation center, and combining the curative facilities (showers, baths ...) with the hotel: with source gardens for walks, roundabouts, salons, theater, etc..

During the decades between 1900 and 1920 are still improving the spa, and is releasing water "Orion" through ads and testimonials from patients cured. In this period tourism is made up of members of the bourgeoisie. In 1918, the year he was a change of ownership, marriage Manuel Burch and Mercedes Barraquer christen the spa under its current name "Orion Thermal Spa."

Since 1932 is starting to sell water Orion in significant quantities, 4,000 liters, and advertising is done through advertisements in all railway stations in Catalonia. It also give away more than 750 liters to the doctors to make propaganda. In December 1954 are left to bottle water Orion.

The services that were offered in the spa was: thermal bath, jet at normal pressure, shower upward, local massage, shower pressure strong motor, artificial effervescent bath with mineral water, and bathroom with shower underwater, at prices from 4 to 7 pesetas for each item.

In the 40's customers were, according to statistics from the spa, 232 "sick of the wealthy class," and 12 "sick of the poor", and as to their origin, 222 were from Barcelona, Gerona and 13 and 9 Lerida. Since the'50s the usual clientele remains the same, comprising industrialists, merchants and professionals such as lawyers, solicitors, doctors, pharmacists ... and people start to come from Zürich, Tenerife, Madrid, Lisbon, Valencia ...

From the 60 to 70 began a remarkable decline for the spa, which is no longer profitable. The clientele was acting in a vegetative, quiet. It was sickening people and the elderly. The theater, cinema and concerts were replaced by television in a room.

The spa at present
Today, the search for tranquility and relaxation that requires us to the current pace of society and the world with their competitiveness and information overload, makes a spa hotel and entertainment of the highest order, so that they are a good refuge for lovers of nature and water.

The spas are living an era of expansion, reinforced by the creation in 1980 of the Association Balnearia of Catalonia (25% of the spas are in Catalonia, Spain).

Not only conceived in the wake of its healing properties, currently presenting a splendid alternative to mass tourism, and they can find a wide selection of accessories to enjoy a stay, short or long, in an environment where leisure and water are factors essential.

The spa has been renovated over the years. It has been modernized and spa complex has been built elegant interior thermal pool. The historian Jesus Avila, a specialist in the evolution of these establishments, the spa has been described in these terms:

“Termas Orion is undoubtedly the most elegant spa building of Catalonia, and comparable to the best of Central Europe.”