Visiting the springs of the world spa

Seven o’clock in the morning: The first guests of the day enter the Wandelhalle in Bad Kissingen. Soft sunlight floods into the cruciform building. They slowly make their way to the Brunnenhalle, or well house. Here there are two springs, surrounded by a gleaming set of bronze pipes. The guests remain standing. They are holding glasses in their hands. Woman of the well Anette Sell and her young colleague Lisa Schleicher greet the participants, take the glasses and hold them under a tap. Carefully they fill the glasses with fresh water from the springs of Bad Kissingen, famed for centuries for their healing properties. Women of the well like Anette Sell and Lisa Schleicher still dispense the healing water in the traditional way – and thus preserve an ancient custom.

Brunnenfrau: A Bavarian tradition for more than 100 years

Healing water has a long tradition in Bad Kissingen: 500 years ago, medical practitioners already recognised their beneficial effects. In the middle of the 19th century, the Bavarian King Ludwig I commissioned a spa building that was exceptional at the time: the “Iron Well House”, in the middle of which was a deep basin.

In those days, patients and guests had to climb down on their own to reach the health-giving waters. In 1909 the hall was torn down and replaced with the building we see today, which is the largest mineral water spa hall in Europe. Since 1911, women of the well have been dispensing the healing waters. Until 1991 they were still traditionally scooping it out by hand with a dipper. Today they fill the glasses from taps.

Healing water from Bad Kissingen - a city and its treasure

Guests from all over the world find the healing water from Bad Kissingen eases their health concerns – as a drinking cure, a healthy bath or inhalation therapy. The springs in Bad Kissingen are rich in trace elements and minerals – with pain-relieving and healing properties. Four are drinkable. “Rakoczy”, “Pandur”, “Max” and “Luitpold”. Some of their names refer back to Bavarian nobles such as King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and Luitpold II of Bavaria.

And just like the nobility of yore, the healing water has been a feature of the city’s image for many years: Bad Kissingen was famous far beyond national borders for its seven springs – and thanks to the precious treasure from deep within the earth it enjoys a reputation as a world spa. Clinics, hotels and wellness providers – they have all become specialists and tailored their services to suit their guests.

Water drinking cure: Reinvigorating body and soul

Many guests drink the healing water for strength. Slow walking during the cure enhances the beneficial effect: “In today’s stressful and fast-paced times, it is very important to take time out from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” asserts Anette Sell. “That’s not only good for the body, but good for the soul too.” If specific organs such as the gall bladder, bladder, kidneys, liver, intestines or stomach require treatment, the drinking cure is often prescribed by doctors. The composition of the water and the length of the spa treatment determine the success: four to six weeks is ideal.

And there is something else that makes a spa holiday in Bad Kissingen even more special: In the concert hall next to the Wandelhalle, the 13-member spa orchestra performs twice a day to an audience of hundreds. Guests in Bad Kissingen experience Bavarian healing waters with all their senses: As they drink, they amble through the mythical atmosphere of the Wandelhalle and soak up the effects of the classic sounds of the spa music. To date, this centuries-old ritual in the city has lost none of its health-giving effect.