One of the most remarkable phenomenon of combined natural, cultural and social heritage in Central Europe are the Spas. The natural deposits of the mineral waters and hot springs have been a very important location factor and  a driver for economic development of many spa towns, that witnessed their heydays at the turn of XIX and XX centuries. Many of them further developed within decades, some of them are not recognizable as healing places or tourist destinations anymore. Today, in the time the growing fashion for healthy living, the interest in wellness and natural curing methods, including balneology and the growing group of elderly, relatively well-off citizens the old and existing spas have a chance for their “second youth”. However the traditional spa resorts across Central Europe face many similar problems related to the conflict between protection of natural resources and development needs, enormous costs of maintaining the architectural and urban heritage, market and investment pressure related to mass tourism, etc. The project Healing Places aims at enhancing the sustainable development of Central European spas based on the natural and material heritage protection principles. It will aim at elaborating a strategic model of long-term spas management based on better recognition, creative utilisation and adaptive re-use of existing natural and cultural resources. Project activities will be targeted not only at particular local solutions and but also they will take into consideration the meaning of spa development in wider regional and national development strategies and place-based specialisations.