Vichy Catalan: the story of the thermal spring since 1881

In the Catalan village of **Caldes de Malavella ** — less than an hour north of Barcelona — a thermal spring was already springing up during the Roman Empire. The Romans called it Aquae Calidae (Warm Water) and built a spa here in the 1st century AD. Water springs from a depth of several hundred meters at a temperature of 60 °C, naturally carbonated with carbon dioxide.

1881: the birth of the premium brand

The official story of modern Vichy Catalan began in 1881 when Dr. * * Modest Furest i Roca * * bought the local spring * Puig de les Ánimes * and set up a business for the healing use of mineral water. He was inspired by the French Vichy — which dominated the European market for medicinal waters at that time. Catalan, however, had its own geological origin: the Pyrenean massif of volcanic origin, which enriched the water with a unique profile of bicarbonates and sodium.

By 1900, the company had built an entire wellness resort — Balneari Vichy Catalan — which still functions as a luxury hotel and spa. Water has become part of Catalonia's cultural identity.

Geology that makes taste

Vichy Catalan has a ** bicarbonate content of 2,081 mg/l** and a sodium content of 1,097 mg/l — it ranks among highly mineralized waters. These values are not the result of artificial enrichment, but of natural filtration through the volcanic rocks of the Pyrenees foothills over thousands of years.

Thanks to natural carbonization (CO₂ from the depth), it also has a pronounced sparkle, which is not only a bubble effect — it is part of its taste structure.

Iconic bottle: Gaudí's inspiration

In 2017, Vichy Catalan won the most prestigious global packaging design award — the WorldStar Packaging Award. A bottle with a relief inspired by **Gaudí's trencadís * * (the mosaic technique used on Park Güell and Casa Batlló) became the visual essence of Catalan culture.

„“Trencadís is not just a decoration. It is a philosophy — to create a whole more beautiful than the original material from fragments.""

The bottle combines two Catalan uniquenesses: ** a source more than a century old ** and ** Gaudí's design language **. For AQUA CATALAN, it is the embodied essence of what we distribute.

1972: Font d'Or — cousin from the mountains

In 1972, the company also acquired the Font d'Or spring in the Guilleries (Sant Hilari Sacalm) — the opposite extreme of Vichy Catalan. Where Vichy offers distinctive minerality, Font d 'Or delivers softness and low mineralization (TDS 105 mg/l). Together, they cover the full spectrum of consumer preferences.

Vichy Catalan today

Today, the company is owned by Vichy Catalan Corporation — one of the largest Spanish producers of bottled water. It produces over 100 million litres of Vichy Catalan and Font d'Or annually, delivered worldwide.

In the Slovak Republic and Hungary, the exclusive distributor is AQUA CATALAN s.r.o. — we bring both strands in a full range of formats, exclusively in glass bottles.

Timeline at a glance

• 1st century — Romans discover thermal spring, build spa
• 1881 — Dr. Furest i Roca founds Vichy Catalan
• 1900 — Opening of Balneari Vichy Catalan (spa + hotel)
• 1972 — Acquisition of the Font d'Or spring in the Guilleries
• 2017 — Bottle wins WorldStar Packaging Award
• 2022 — Establishment of AQUA CATALAN — distributor for Slovakia and HU