The Roman Baths in the City of Bath, England, is an old Roman public bathing site. The baths are no longer usable but the complex is now a museum and popular tourist attraction. Visited the place in 2005…
Inside the musuem were mostly ruins from its original Roman site; the most famous spot is probably the greenish pool of The Great Bath (pic). The spring water is not naturally coloured like that, it’s caused by the algae that grow in it.
The pool water is not safe to touch or drink because it’s infested with bacteria; but lots of folks couldn’t bother much with the touching part. Visitors can drink the spring water at the 300-year-old Pump Room Restaurant instead.
Roman Baths History
The first settlers at the hot spring were the Celts, who built a shrine dedicated to the goddess Sulis. The area was named Aquae Sulis by the Romans during their occupation of Britain (43AD – 410AD).
The Romans then developed the complex with numerous huge and small bath tubs, Roman temples and courtyard. At its prime it’s said that the complex could fit in 3000 people in all the bath tubs.
The complex was not properly maintained after the Romans left and many structures were fallen apart. The Roman Baths were redeveloped again in 18th century when it became a popular place for royals and nobles.
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