Hot springs - a treat in the winter – natural ones at Kavala
- Written by Portal Editor
If you are traveling from Thessaloniki towards Kavala, have passed the well-known Lion Monument of Amphipolis, on the coastal road far before Kavala you will reach a fork, which leads to the hot springs.
Once a swanky bathing resort, guesthouses and facilities are decayed, only a few dropouts still live in this idyll of greenery and hot springs that invite you to swim and relax.
In general, thermal springs occur in areas of increased volcanic activity (eg Japan, Taiwan, Iceland, Greece, Turkey) and / or in the vicinity of deep flow systems (eg Aachen, Baden-Baden).
The water is heated underground, either by volcanic activity or by circulating the water deeper into the earth and warming up there according to the geothermal depth.
The hottest sources in Europe´s Bad Blumau (deep drilling) reaches 107 ° C, Bad Radkersburg (deep well) 80 ° C, Chaudes-Aigues (France, natural spring) 81,5 ° C, Aachen (natural spring) 74 ° C, in Karlovy Vary (natural spring) 72 ° C and in Wiesbaden (natural spring) 66 ° C.
In volcanogenic areas, the water temperature is sometimes close to the boiling point. It should be noted in general that the boiling point of water is dependent on the air pressure and the amount of dissolved substances and the above water temperatures are sometimes not comparable with each other.
When ascending to the surface of the earth, various gases, such as sulfur gases or carbon dioxide, are usually released.
Hot and warm springs are often used for therapeutic purposes because they are richer in dissolved minerals than cold springs. Hot springs were known by the North American Indians since more than 10,000 years ago and were used as sanatoriums.
The Jordansprudel in Bad Oeynhausen was drilled in 1926 and with a depth of 725 m and a bed of 3000 l / min, is the largest carbonated brine source in the world.
The most productive thermal springs in Germany include the Aachener and the Wiesbadener thermal springs. These sources often led to the construction of thermal baths. In Wiesbaden also the New Town Hall and two residential complexes are heated with thermal water.
Thermal springs can also be used as energy sources. For example, over 50 percent of Iceland's primary energy is generated from geothermal energy in Iceland. The Bláa Lónið (German Blue Lagoon) is an artificial hot spring, which is fed with the waste water of a geothermal power plant. It is a popular tourist attraction on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
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Rentina Castle - Roman Via Egnatia towards Kavala
The impressive "Rotunda" in Thessalonica