Bad König: Spa Park, Castle and Open-Air Stage
Accommodation in Bad König
Bad König is the only spa town in the Odenwaldkreis district. Some of the town’s distinctive features include the spa park with its two lakes, the historic town centre with the Old Castle, and a path that leads out of town from the Georg Vetter Museum, between gardens and meadows. This gives you a choice of park activities, historic buildings and a route into the countryside.
Spa Park: Water, Exercise and Sundials
The spa park brings together a range of activities: alongside two lakes, there is a mini-golf course, a water playground, a balance course and a foot-bath facility. If you are out with children, you can plan the water playground and balance course as specific activities. For a different kind of pastime, the area by the Small Lake has an 18-hole mini-golf course, outdoor chess, a bocce court and a Kneipp facility. The park also features outdoor chess and bocce facilities, as well as water fountains and a planetary path.
A special feature is the three sundials installed near the tennis courts in 1987. The eastern one uses its shadow to show Central European Time. The middle one is a world sundial and displays four times simultaneously. So, alongside leisure activities, the spa park offers different ways to experience time and enjoy outdoor exercise. The paths around the lakes are lit, and you can walk or jog there until 10 p.m.
Castle Square and the Historic Town Centre
The Old Castle dates back to 1559. It was the residence of the Counts of Erbach-Schönberg and stands on elevated ground at the southern end of Castle Square. Its broad façade, with many window bays, and its size define the square. The ground floor houses two exhibition rooms of the local history museum. The castle’s setting, its striking façade and the museum together offer a reason to explore Bad König’s history during your visit.
The historic town centre includes the castles, the Lustgarten, the castle church, the Rentmeisterei and the open-air stage. The stage has been in operation since 1985 and hosts open-air events. Other attractions include the New Castle, the Odenwald-Therme, several monuments, the Georg Vetter Museum, the “TECMUMAS” technology museum, the mini-golf course and the cemetery chapel in the Kimbach Valley. Alongside the main park and castle attractions, you can also choose from museums, technology-related sights and historic places.
A Route from the Museum to Gardens and Meadows
The Georg Vetter Way starts right by the Georg Vetter Museum. It leads out of town between gardens and meadows to the cemetery and its centuries-old chapel. Georg Vetter often used the chapel as a subject for his art. If you are interested in art and local history, you will find a tangible connection here between the museum, the route and a building that appeared repeatedly in Vetter’s work. Its route out of town sets this attraction apart from the facilities in the spa park and around Castle Square.
Bad König also offers a gentle-paced town tour that accommodates people with difficulty walking, as well as people using a rollator, wheelchair or walking stick. Everyone else is welcome too. It is a way to explore the town at your own pace with a guide.
Getting There and Further Orientation
Bad König can be reached by the Odenwald Railway. The station is about 800 m on foot from Castle Square. If you are travelling by train, this gives you a specific indication of the route from the station towards the historic town centre. For further orientation, you can also include Kimbach.
More Town Pages
For further travel planning: Hesseneck, Breuberg, Erbach, Fränkisch-Crumbach, Mossautal, Michelstadt, Reichelsheim.
For the main travel overview: Odenwald.
