In the north of Gard, the renovated thermal baths of Fumades are returning to cruising speed

In front of the new plaque, Pierre Brun and Max Roustan, with Geneviève Coste, the prefect Jérôme Bonet, local and regional elected officials. Free Midi – Alexis BETHUNE

The thermal establishment was inaugurated this Thursday, July 18, by local elected officials to conclude the major phase of renovation work on the complex.

They are finally here. Although they have been open to the public for several weeks, the renovated thermal baths of Allègre-les-Fumades were, this Thursday, July 18, by elected officials and representatives of the State.

"A day of joy" for Pierre Brun, the former mayor of the town, alongside Geneviève Coste, his successor, prefect of Gard Jérôme Bonet and Max Roustan, mayor of Alès. It has been years since the mayor of Alès and his honorary counterpart of Allègre-les-Fumades carried out this large-scale project. " It was a painful, but fantastic birth! To think that it took twenty years to do that!", recalled Max Roustan to the assembly present for the official ceremony. And to think that we need it to live! But if we didn't do that, after the mine, what were we going to leave in the valley ?"< /p>

The spa guests are back

Closed since 2021 to undergo major renovation work (total cost: approximately 26 million euros), the thermal baths have therefore reopened for this season 2024 by offering both balneo-play areas and areas reserved for thermal cures.

These have been open since June 10 to patients, who responded well according to Maxime Vilgrain, president of the Arenadour group, operator of the complex: "We have already recorded 2 reservations for this first season of the new thermal baths. This is very encouraging for us after three years of work." Before closure, the resort welcomed around 2 300 spa guests each year. People coming for various types of care: dermatological, respiratory, oral-lingual and rheumatological. The latter include 80% of pathologies identified in thermal cures in France.

For society, "the issue was that the people of Gard find their way back to treatment". Thanks to the renovations, which also include a hotel complex with 67 accommodations for patients who do not live in the area, Arenadour aims to ultimately welcome 4,500 spa guests per season. That of 2024 will end on November 30.