History of the town

Bad Kreuznach can look back on a long and turbulent past. Research shows that stone age people settled here, followed by Celts and Romans. Finally Bad Kreuznach was also once part of France and Prussia. But first things first.

Cruciniacum is the name of the Celtic settlement founded on the banks of the river Nahe in the 5th century BC. Evidence of Roman life, lasting for about 4 centuries, can be seen today in the Roman hall (Römerhalle) and in the ruins of the Roman villa (Römervilla). In the first 3 centuries AD, wine growing is introduced which still characterizes the countryside around Bad Kreuznach today. In the middle of the first millennium Burgundians and later on Franks take over the Roman settlement. Around 1200, both parts of the town emerge and are connected by a stone bridge built by the Counts of Sponheim. Castle Kauzenburg has towered above the town since 1206. The oldest surviving town charter is from the year 1290. In the following centuries power over the town changes hands several times. Decisive points in history are the Thirty Years’ War and the Palatinate War of Succession in the 17th century. Large parts of the town including castle Kauzenburg are devastated. At the beginning of the 19th century Bad Kreuznach is ruled by the French, and after the Vienna Congress it belongs to Prussia from 1815 to 1945. In the years after World War II Bad Kreuznach becomes a symbol of Franco-German friendship: In 1958 Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and President Charles de Gaulle lay the foundations for this – eternalised in a memorial stone which stands in front of the Domina Park Hotel, the former spa building. In 1984 the town was once again an important meeting place, this time for Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Francois Mitterand.

History of the Spa

Even the Celts and the Romans appreciated the advantages of the Nahe valley: a mild climate, favourable conditions for settlement and the healing nature of the local countryside. This is what provides Bad Kreuznach today with its distinctive face. The basis for today’s spa treatments are the town’s saline springs, first mentioned in a document in 1490. The salt walls are created from 1732 for the production of salt. In 1817 Dr. Erhard Prieger introduces salt, drinking and bathing spas after having rediscovered the healthy effect of saline springs. Bad Kreuznach soon develops into an international spa town. In 1843 the first spa building is opened, the start of a steady increase of spa treatments in Bad Kreuznach. In 1904 Dr. Karl Aschoff introduces radon therapy which is mostly carried out in the Rudolf tunnel today. During these decades the magnificent buildings are built which make today’s spa area so worth seeing.