In the third in his series profiling unique European spa destinations, Jochen Erler visits the largest spa resort town in Italy The spa town of Montecatini, located between Florence and Pisa, owes its therapeutic success to the salt-sulphate-alkaline waters flowing from four springs which are recommended for those suffering from illnesses related to the liver and the digestive system.

Other, more famous, resorts offer similar therapies - such as Karsbad (Karlovy Vary, recently featured in Michael Palin's New Europe series) and Marienbad (Marianske Lazne) in the Czech Republic - but these resorts don't have the pleasant climate, the beautiful countryside or the diverse cultural heritage of Montecatini.

You can fly from Gatwick to Pisa with EasyJet, or from Stansted to Florence with Ryanair, and take a train via Lucca to reach the resort, or rent a car and drive there in less than an hour.

Montecatini's long history as a spa started with the Romans. Several votive statuettes were found in the crater of one of Montecatini's springs.

A treatise on hydrology and balneotherapy (use of water as a means to treat ailments) written in 1417 mentions Montecatini. The book Dei Bagni di Montecatini (Baths of Montecatini) published in 1788 praised the curative properties of Montecatini's thermal springs.

The growing number of visitors coming to Montecatini resulted in a steady expansion of the thermal facilities and hotels in the 19th and 20th centuries.

This long period of restoration culminated in 1970, when the last spa building, the Redi Terme, was opened, and some of the other spa buildings enlarged.

However, the number of visitors began to drop because of financial restraints on the Italian health service. It is now very difficult for Italians to get even a single cure prescribed. As a result, some of the spa buildings (called Terme) have been converted from therapeutic to cultural purposes - and 80 of the former 300 hotels have closed.

However, the improvement of the existing therapeutic spas continues and new wellness and beauty facilities for visitors seeking to restore outer as well as inner wellbeing have been added.

Although all the waters from Montecatini springs have a therapeutic impact on the digestive system, each of the four sources has its own properties.

Water from the Rinfresco spring is a diuretic and restores mineral salts. Leopoldina water is a purgative, acting on the intestines and suited for the treatment of chronic constipation. Tettuccio water also promotes the liver's detoxification function. It is useful in disorders of cholesterol metabolism and some cases of gastritis. Water from the Regina spring helps to re-establish the proper flow of bile from the liver to the intestines.

The water of the four different springs can be taken for a cure at water taps in the Terme Tettuccio and in the Terme La Salute (the other three spa buildings of Montecatini are used for more therapeutic applications).

At Terme La Salute you can breathe thermal vapours which help combat a range of disorders from inflammation of the respiratory tract to chronic nasal disorders and asthma.

At the modern Terme Regi one can receive thermal baths, mud treatments and massages. Mud is generously applied for the mud wraps, and the session includes a pleasant therapeutic bath.

Terme Grocco has a thermal swimming pool and offers physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

But Montecatini doesn't only cater for visitors with health problems. Nowadays more young people use the relaxing and restorative properties of thermal water for gentle exercise and pamper themselves with the beauty treatments that are on offer.

Montecatini's Wellness Centre is located in the Terme Excelsior. Its brochure contains 11 pages of various applications for relaxation, thermal and aesthetic treatments for the body and face, and anti-cellulite and slimming treatments.

One page lists different types of traditional massage, and under the heading Eastern Promise' three pages of alternative massages, such as Shiatsu (in a gentle version for Westerners).

Of course a swimming pool and physical and meditative exercises are on offer.

Beauty treatments such as manicure, pedicure etc. 2/3 and 4/5 day packages ccost between 240 - 590 Euros.

The Wellness Centre is open from Monday to Saturday 8.30am-8pm., and on Sundays from 9am until 2pm. Such customer-friendly long opening hours are difficult to find in other spas.

There is a wide choice of accommodation in Montecantini, from two five-star hotels to two modest B&Bs, altogether 220 hotels in this small town with its exceptionally beautiful park!

International travellers will find that the classification of the four and five-star hotels in Montecatini applies only to the summer season. Swimming pools are outdoors and only available in summer time. Saunas may be closed on Sundays in the five-star hotels, and in the rare case of a sauna in a four-star hotel it may be closed for the winter.

But the beauty and elegance of the grand hotels compensates for these shortcomings. They were all built a century ago when high ceilings and extensive use of wood and marble for their interior were standard.

I stayed in the four-star Grand Hotel Francia e Quirinale that is conveniently located within walking distance of the train station and of the various spa buildings.

What makes this hotel outstanding is its excellent kitchen and superior service. Locals confirmed that in some other hotels an increase in prices was accompanied by an unfortunate downturn of quality. Not in this hotel.

After a previous stay in a five-star hotel in southern Tuscany, where I was not impressed by their cuisine, here I enjoyed every meal, especially their opulent hors d'oeuvre and entrée buffet, as well their fruit bowl.

The staff were friendly and efficient. The prices for the wines were very reasonable. I could not resist the temptation to try all their delicious pastries for which the Italians are justly famous!

Where to stay Recommended: 4-star Grand Hotel Francie e Quirinale, tel. 00 39 0572 70271, fax 70275, info@franciaequirinale.it. Prices for half board are 108-117 per person per night according to season.

For other accommodation: contact Montecatini's Tourist Office, tel. 00 39 0572 7781, info@montecatiniturismo.it