FEELS SPECIAL : THE KALITHEA SPRINGS, RHODES

We’re only a few kilometers away from Rhodes’ old town, on a rocky stretch of coast. There’s a spring here that has been known since Antiquity, Hippocrates himself is even said to have acknowledged its benefits.

But let’s fast forward at least a couple thousands years: we’re in 1912 and the Italians are occupying the island of Rhodes. They feel like the island need a spectacular spa to attract tourists and this is just the perfect spot. A few years later, in 1927, the architect Pietro Lombardi designs this group of circular buildings, mixing local and foreign references in its architecture. The most striking feature is those graphic pebble floors, typical of the Dodecanese.

After WWII, with the Italians gone, the springs are left unattended. The spa won’t be reopened until 2007, after more than ten years of renovation. Nowadays the springs lead to a private beach, with the former spa buildings used for various exhibitions. If you go there early in the morning you can almost picture the 30’s vacationers…