PORTUGAL
distrito de Vila Real

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Pedras Salgadas is a small town (vila) in the district Vila Real, in northern Portugal, located about 30 km northeast of the district town Vila Real, and about 96 west-northwest of Porto.

Even the Romans, who settled here and built a water supply system for their mines (including those in Tresminas), recognized and utilized the healing properties of the thermal springs. Records of the medicinal use of the local water date back to the 11th century. The earliest publication describing the medicinal use of the waters dates from 1871. The waters were awarded a prize during the World's fair of Vienna in 1873. The Companhia Águas de Pedras Salgadas was founded in 1874. With the completion of the industrial bottling plants in 1893, the commercialization of the mineral water expanded significantly, and with numerous further awards for the waters the town's fame increased significantly. The thermal baths were officially opened in 1879 and subsequently developed into a well-known spa resort in Portugal. Key milestones included the extended stay of King Manuel II in 1906, the connection to the Linha do Corgo railway line in 1907, and the opening of the casino in 1910, which, however, did not receive a gambling license. In 1999 the place was elevated to the status of Vila (small town). As a result of the privatizations and mergers that have taken place in the thermal spa sector in Portugal since the 1990s, the springs have changed hands several times. They now belong to the Unicer (Super Bock) Group. The thermal baths were reopened in 2009 as Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedras_Salgadas, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedras_Salgadas, https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termas_de_Pedras_Salgadas]