Re-interpreting brine and tradition

In Bad Salzungen, breathing deeply becomes a relaxation experience

In Bad Salzungen, two places steeped in history invite you to relax: the idyllic Burgsee lake in the town centre and the impressive graduation house by the Werra river. The Salzungen brine also played an important role in the development of the historic town centre, which lies between these two locations. With its SOLEWELT, the town itself is developing pioneering methods of treatment and healing, in which people can even sing and dream surrounded by a brine mist.

In the picturesque Werra Valley, between the Rhön Mountains and the Thuringian Forest, salt has been very important to Bad Salzungen for centuries. The “little salt town” is not only the oldest brine spa town in Germany. With three natural brine springs of various concentrations, it is unique in Europe!

The graduation house complex is just as unique. In its original sense, graduation meant increasing the salt concentration of the brine. The Salzungen brine still trickles down the vast, high east and west walls of the impressive building. However, there is now a different reason for this – when the salt droplets enter the air and ultimately the lungs, this has a positive effect on people’s health. The upper airways are moistened, the respiratory vessels open up and more oxygen gets into the body. Your tour through the historic graduation house complex will begin with the big brine droplets and end with the smallest. This allows the brine droplets to penetrate deeper and deeper into your airways.

Dreaming in the brine mist

To atomise the brine droplets more finely, two pump rooms are connected to the graduation house. The fine brine mist that comes from the wells will envelope you in a mystical atmosphere. Tread gracefully through the room and breathe deliberately in and out.
In this atmospheric setting, dreaming in the brine mist will put you into a state of intense relaxation. Once a month, you can snuggle up on comfortable loungers and breathe in the cool brine mist as the salt settles on your skin and lips. Gentle stimuli created by someone striking the singing bowls will make your thoughts wander and encourage you to dream. You will feel a lightness in your spirit and a pleasant heaviness in your limbs.

Bad weather tip: SOLEWELT with sauna area

This state of relaxation can be deepened in the SOLEWELT, which is connected to the graduation house complex. In the brine floating pool, you will experience a sense of weightlessness in the 36°C warm water. The 15% brine increases the buoyancy and can support you without effort. You will also find the local brine in the sauna area, in the inhalation steam room. You can enjoy a gentle connection to nature in the sauna garden with modern thermal saunas and a quiet room with a view of the banks of the Werra river.

Cultural tip: salt boiling museum with boiling demonstrations

Right next to the graduation house is the salt boiling museum. The historic half-timbered building, which was once used as an inhalatorium, now vividly presents the development of salt production in Bad Salzungen up to the town becoming a notable spa resort. History comes to life with the regular salt boiling demonstrations in the museum garden.

Must-see: Burgsee lake with boat hire

From the tourist information office in the salt boiling museum, a tour of the town will take you through the historic town centre to the idyllic Burgsee. In the summer months, the promenade is popular with locals and visitors, who can enjoy the sun in a pedalo. The Burgsee lake, which is attached to Rathenau Park, is the green lung of the town and provides the backdrop for the popular Lake Festival in August. Sitting on the steps of the Kurhaus, you can dip your feet in the water or enjoy the magical view of the lake and a wonderful meal at the Kurhaus Restaurant.

Culinary tip: "Sole & Bohne"

Back by the Werra river, you can enjoy coffee, cake or a sophisticated salad in the garden of the graduation house complex. The restaurant “Sole & Bohne” serves regional delicacies here, even during a concert in the garden. The interior of the historic central building itself combines a modern atmosphere with the charm of the half-timbered building and the unique view of the graduation house and its garden.

Tip from Annelie König: singing in the graduation house

It may sound strange, but the best way of inhaling brine is to sing! Annelie König from Bad Salzungen has experienced for herself the extraordinary effect that brine has had on the health of her airways.
“Really being able to breathe again is a wonderful experience that I would not like to miss ever again!” She discovered the pleasure of singing in the graduation house and now leads a tour twice a month. With a little courage and an appropriate choice of songs, you will let the healthy air penetrate even deeper into your lungs. Singing together produces a sense of happiness and is an exhilarating experience for your body and mind.

You are recommended to regularly walk through the historic graduation house complex in Bad Salzungen. If you would like to combine the mild summer evenings in the garden of the graduation house or by the Burgsee lake with the healthy properties of brine, the camper site may be the right place for you. You will find this site for camper vans in a natural environment between the bank of Werra river and SOLEWELT. Bad Salzungen brings together Health and holidays, brine and traditions interpreted in a modern way.

Cover: ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH