Go with the flow
Relax and sink into relaxation in San Pellegrino, home to the world-famous water
Words by John Silcox
Photography by Alexander Rhind
In San Pellegrino, home of Italy’s most renowned sparkling variety, visitors are returning to a revamped turn-of-the-century spa to enjoy an array of aquatic treatments, including bubbling thermal baths and hot tubs, aromatic steam baths, saunas and even a Himalayan salt-scrub experience.
‘Our focus is on wellness,’ explains Alessandra Gherardi, the director of QC Terme. ‘We’ve simply harnessed the natural mineral properties of the water and created an escape for both body and mind, allowing guests to unwind in a wonderful environment. Being here feels like a hug for the senses.’
While this sounds very tempting, fortunately, it’s not altogether necessary, as we’d arrived in town after spending a few comfortable hours at the wheel of the Audi Q5. In the S-Line specification, the car wraps you in a hug of its own – its adaptive suspension dealt with even the worst road surfaces with aplomb and prevented us feeling any of the bumps.
QC Terme is situated in the heart of San Pellegrino, next to the Grand Casino portrayed on the label that graces the neck of the famous water bottle. Since it opened in 2015, it has brought back a steady flow of tourists to the once-prosperous town that grew up around the thermal spring, and a whole new generation is discovering its beautiful yet faded Art Nouveau architecture, which wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson film.
The Grand Hotel, built in 1840, is now flanked by stylish, ultra-modern structures. ‘The spa is split into two areas,’ says Gherardi, walking us through the complex. ‘The dry part is the original hotel and the wet is the contemporary section. Guests can relax in the grandeur of the old building before enjoying the facilities of the new. The modern building has been designed to mirror the way that water rises from the ground: downstairs, it’s dark and misty, while upstairs, it’s light and airy – a bit like rising steam.’
But the spa is not the only renovation project in town. Further down the road, the Nestlé-owned S.Pellegrino company will soon start work on the construction of a €90 million, 17,000sq m bottling plant and visitor centre designed by the award-winning studio Bjarke Ingels.
‘We’re witnessing a new beginning,’ says Gherardi, who was born locally. ‘When I was a child, it seemed as though we’d forgotten about the beauty of the valley and were focused on heavy industry. However, in recent years, that activity has declined and people are waking up to the many attributes of the region again: breathtaking scenery, fresh air, good weather and, of course, great architecture.’
On departure, it’s clear that a sense of wellbeing has taken hold of us. As the sun sets over the mountains, we speed off in the Q5 towards the airport in nearby Bergamo feeling more relaxed than we ought to before catching a flight. Must have been something in the water.
