ABSTRACT
Fashionable spas welcomed only the aristocracy and the wealthy, a relatively small group of people. Most elite families could find something in their past – a common ancestor, a marriage, a historic event – that established a connection between them in the present. A Parisian considered Cannes an artificial town because it had no suburbs and no industries. It was a common characteristic of resorts: the absence of factories kept away pollution and factory workers. The remoteness of watering places from large cities and populated areas also worked as a filter, for only the well-to-do could afford the time and expenses of travelling to distant spa. Spa hotels and restaurants chased not only after the wealthy clientele, but also after 'the best kind of person' and kept all others out. In 1876, Bertal, observing the spa society, hoped that 'perpetual rubbing against other nations will gradually dull the sharp corners' of European society, reduce conflicts and so will serve peace.
