Gastronomy and well-being: the best recipes from the water cities

There's nothing like an exceptional region to recharge your batteries! In the heart of Haute Saintonge, a stone's throw from the Gironde estuary, the hillsides of the Cognac vineyards and the green setting of its forests, Jonzac invites you to immerse yourself in the delights of thermal water and the flavours of a region rich in know-how. To complete your relaxation, everything is planned: a programme of "Spa delights" treatments at the thermal baths, a visit to the Maison de la Vigne et des Saveurs (Vine and Flavour House), a visit to a cognac distillery at a wine grower's, not forgetting access to the pools in the relaxation area of the aquatic centre, Les Antilles de Jonzac, for a real tropical break! Let's get you on board?

Cognac vineyard and well-being" stay

We sometimes forget that the secret of health also lies in the kitchen. In Châtel-Guyon, in Terra Volcana, you can experience all the benefits of a gourmet and balanced diet: in the heart of the Chaîne des Puys with its 80 volcanoes, listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, Aïga resort is the first water town in Europe specialising in intestinal microbiota thermalism. A complete expertise with offers combining health, well-being, physical activities, nutrition and leisure, which you can benefit from with the "Pamper my microbiota" weeks. On the menu, soothing baths or thermal mud, massages with organic calendula oil or thermal water, a healthy cooking workshop and an aquagym, aquazen or aquabike session. A great way to be pampered from head to toe!

Favorite week: "Pamper my microbiota"

Welcome to Enghien-Les-Bains! Just a stone's throw from Paris, the only spa town in the Ile-de-France region welcomes visitors in search of well-being for a relaxing stay under the sign of the French art of living. Let go in the refined cocoon of the Spa Diane Barrière, succumb to the delights of massages and sophisticated treatments, and enjoy the gastronomic cuisine... During your getaway, you can appreciate the refinement of one of the eleven exceptional destinations labelled as Barrière Hotels, and explore a unique city, a true island of well-being in the heart of green gardens. Stroll along the lake, watch a horse race at the Enghien-Soisy racecourse, thrill in the gaming room of France's first casino, admire the architectural heritage, marvel at a concert or an exhibition, or stroll through the markets full of flavours: between two treatments, you can treat yourself to something beautiful and good!

"Escapade détente"

What if you were to combine a well-being sequence at the thermal spa with a tasting session of the flavours of Aveyron? In the heart of Europe's largest forest of locust trees (false acacias) between the Lot valley and listed villages (Conques, Bournazel, Rodez, Figeac...), Cransac-Les-Thermes is unique: the former mining town has been renowned for its natural hot gases since Antiquity! In the cocoon of its thermal centre with its beautiful wood and glass architecture reminiscent of the old mining headframes, choose your formula: "discovery" or "delight" with a hydromassage bath, a kaolin wrap and other massages. And discover the good taste of local products from Aveyron. Inn, 3-star restaurant nestled in a two-hectare natural park or Logis de France in the historic heart of the village: each has its own way of honouring the pleasures of the table!

Taste and recharge your batteries in Aveyron

Here is an idea for a wellness stay that is not lacking in salt! In Salies de Béarn, in this region of the South-West irrigated by the Gaves, mountain streams which become rivers in the plain, the thermal water with 26 minerals and trace elements is saltier than the Dead Sea! You can experience all the benefits of this salinity during a course between halotherapy (salt therapy), aromatherapy, hydromassage bath or salt flower scrub and a bath in total weightlessness: the lagoon has a salt content of 300 grams per litre! This is the perfect way to revitalise yourself and explore a land of unprecedented richness: stroll through the market between stalls selling sheep's milk cheese, charcuterie and pastries (don't forget to try a "medieval" at Charrier's), take an introduction to roasting in a chocolate-making workshop, and enjoy a colourful meal: between a locavore inn, a fine table d'hôtes and a gourmet restaurant, you'll be able to fill up on both savoury and sweet flavours!

"Salty water and gourmet land"