Spa Gardens Bad Kreuznach
An idyll full of life: from pleasure garden to spa gardens
The history of spa treatment in Bad Kreuznach is closely linked to the spa gardens. They are beautifully situated at the tip of an island surrounded by the Nahe River and a mill pond called Badewörth.
This area became the spa gardens after 1830. First, the town's first saltwater spring – the Elisabethquelle – was discovered and developed, then in 1843 a prestigious spa house for bathing treatments was opened, replacing a wooden building – and in between, the park was a charming place to linger and stroll, to see and be seen. Until World War II, a promenade hall connected the Elisabethquelle with the concert shell.
The garden combines elements of Baroque and English landscape gardening. Today, it is characterized by majestic, free-standing trees that provide pleasant shade and whose canopy creates a soothing atmosphere. The oldest tree is a majestic, gnarled plane tree planted in 1840. Several other giant trees shield the bandstand with its dance floor, where free musical performances have always been organized during the open-air season and are gratefully received. A 150-year-old red beech tree is an eye-catcher on the large lawn. The promenade on the dam along the mill pond is lined with 100-year-old horse chestnut trees. A total of 145 large trees make the park a light-filled arboretum. Carefully arranged flower beds add colorful accents.
The layout of the spa gardens since 2002 cannot be understood without mentioning flood protection. It is picturesquely situated between two branches of the river. The Nahe weir rushes in front of the spa gardens. The town is repeatedly hit by flooding, especially in winter, when continuous rain is added to the snowmelt in the low mountain ranges. The Nahe then becomes a raging torrent – the spa gardens are one of the first places in the town where it bursts its banks. This was the case in 1917, on New Year's Eve 79/80, at Christmas 1993, and on New Year's Day 1995. The city then implemented a major flood protection program, which also led to the redesign of the spa gardens into a perfect symbiosis of form and function. The entire park is designed as a basin that retains water, and the promenades along the Nahe and Mühlenteich are built on dams. The protective wall has openings that are only closed in case of alarm. The tip of the spa gardens is designed as a bulwark against floods, which sometimes carry tree trunks and caravans from the upper reaches of the Nahe river and smash them here.
The inhalation park with two graduation towers and the famous brine atomizer, which sprays aerosol mist, create a fresh, cool climate in summer that is very pleasant to be in, especially as the Kneipp facility with its barefoot path invites you to get your circulation going in the arm basin – or to enjoy deep relaxation by treading water.
Tranquil nature experiences, musical entertainment and dancing, brine inhalation, and Kneipp pools all contribute to the liveliness and appeal of this idyllic place.
