Gréoux-les-Bains & thermal spa

France's third largest spa town, Gréoux-les-Bains takes life at an unhurried pace. Up the hill sits a medieval Provençal village clinging to its fortress; down below, a park, the thermal baths and water that rises from more than 1,200 metres underground at 44°C. In between, an avenue of plane trees, café terraces and the gentle rhythm of a spa town.

People come to Gréoux for a three-week cure, a six-day short cure or simply a spa weekend. They stay because the Verdon begins just minutes away, the Lake of Esparron-de-Verdon shimmers below and the lavender fields of the Valensole plateau open up just above.

Thermal water from 1,200 metres down

The water of Gréoux-les-Bains is drawn from more than 1,200 metres beneath the village and reaches the surface naturally at 44°C. Run by the Chaîne Thermale du Soleil in a building inspired by Gallo-Roman baths, the spa is recognised for three medical indications: rheumatology, respiratory conditions and rehabilitation after breast cancer. The thermal season runs from March to December.

The thermal baths, at the heart of the town

Baths, showers, mud treatments, aerosols and mobilisation pools: the spa offers the full range of thermal care, a short walk from the park and the spa hotels. Treatments are prescribed by a doctor.

Four ways to take the waters

• The medical cure — 18 consecutive days of treatment on medical prescription. For people covered by the French health insurance system, it is reimbursed.
• The short cure — six days of treatment, to enjoy the benefits of thermal water without committing three weeks.
• The free cure — from five days, with no prescription, building your own programme of treatments.
• Spa and wellbeing — for a day or a weekend, a relaxing break with no medical protocol.

Coming for a cure? The Tourist Office helps you organise everything before you leave — accommodation, transport, formalities — and then activities, outings and good addresses once you are here.

The village, just above the baths

It is easy to forget that above the spa there is a real Provençal village, medieval and steep, crowned by a fortress. This is old Gréoux: cobbled lanes, vaulted passageways, fountains, little squares and viewpoints that stretch all the way to the Verdon.

Old Gréoux on foot

The climb to the castle takes only a few minutes and rewards the effort: on the way, the church of Notre-Dame des Ormeaux, old façades and hanging gardens; from the top, a panorama over the Verdon valley and the hills of the Valensole plateau. Guided tours of the village are available.

The so-called Templars' castle

It is the third largest fortress in the region, after the Palais des Papes in Avignon and the Bishops' Palace in Salon-de-Provence. A former stronghold that became a lordly residence, it belonged to Charles II, Count of Provence, and was listed as a historic monument as early as 1840. In 1980, following a referendum, the town bought it back for one symbolic franc. Its stone quadrangle, pointed-arch gateway and two towers now host exhibitions and shows.

Around the village, small rural chapels — Notre-Dame des Œufs, Saint-Sébastien, Sainte-Croix — are waiting to be discovered on a stroll.

Between the cure and the Verdon

Gréoux-les-Bains sits on the banks of the Verdon, at the gateway to the Regional Natural Park. The Lake of Esparron-de-Verdon, with its turquoise water and gorges you can explore by electric boat or canoe, is only minutes away; the great Gorges du Verdon and the Valensole plateau complete the picture. Plenty to fill the afternoons between two treatment sessions.

A curist's day

Treatments in the morning, a nap in the shade of the plane trees, the market, the casino, a concert in the evening, an outing to the lake or the lavender fields in the afternoon: in Gréoux, a cure feels like a holiday. The Tourist Office publishes the weekly programme of events and guided outings.

The L'Étoile Congress Centre

Gréoux-les-Bains is also a business destination. The L'Étoile Congress Centre hosts conferences, seminars and conventions a few steps from the baths, with hotels sized for groups and a territory made for team-building activities.

A cure, a spa weekend or a stop on the road to the Verdon: Gréoux-les-Bains suits every kind of stay, and the Tourist Office welcomes you in town. To explore further, see our typical villages and the interactive map.