Bad Hersfeld combines a long theatrical tradition with medieval traces and a large spa park. This gives you a choice of different focuses when planning your trip: the abbey ruins and historic old town, a museum visit, or outdoor routes and green spaces. An event date may determine when you travel; if you are visiting outside the festival season, the city’s architectural history and various routes offer other points of interest.

Festivals and historical traces

Since 1951, the Bad Hersfeld Festival has drawn theatre enthusiasts to the Bad Hersfeld Abbey Ruins every year between July and September. The abbey ruins are the largest Romanesque church ruins in the world. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, you can use this period as a guide; check the specific dates for the relevant year.

More than 200 listed buildings can be visited in the historic old town. The Klausturm is one of the few surviving towers of Bad Hersfeld’s medieval town fortifications, which originally comprised 16 towers. The number of protected buildings and the surviving tower highlight different aspects: the historic buildings of the old town on the one hand, and a remaining part of the medieval fortifications on the other.

The Museum of the City of Bad Hersfeld is housed in the surviving monastery building of the former abbey. Another museum commemorates the life and work of Konrad Duden: it opened in 1999 in his former home at Neumarkt 31, next to the Alte Klosterschule. Visits are possible by telephone appointment only. Be sure to arrange a telephone appointment in advance for this museum visit.

Spa park and outdoor routes

The Seasons Spa Park is Bad Hersfeld’s largest contiguous green space, covering approximately seven hectares. The town hall and spa house flank the park. Its history dates back to its creation in 1906; it underwent a major renovation in 2006/2007 and was completed in May 2008. The Magic Spring is also located in the spa park. It is considered unique and symbolises Bad Hersfeld’s healing springs and the city’s long spa and bathing tradition.

Several routes are named for walks and rides through the Fulda floodplain: these include the Fulda Cycle Route, the German Unity Cycle Route and the Luther Pilgrim Route. Another option is the circular route around Lake Fulda. Inaugurated in 2020, this accessible circular route features equipment for engaging different senses; at the start there is an information board that can also be read in Braille. The routes and the circular trail therefore differ in their focus: several cycling and pilgrimage routes cross the Fulda floodplain, while a circular trail with sensory stations runs around Lake Fulda.

The Katharinenturm also offers two distinct options. A public climb up the tower takes place at 3 p.m. on the first Friday of every month; check the date before your visit. The Katharinenweg starts at the tower of the same name and runs through the southwest and the city centre of Bad Hersfeld. You can choose between a climb at a scheduled time and a circular route.

The 2.1-kilometre forest fitness trail has stations for strengthening and stretching muscles and training coordination. A Kneipp facility at the start can be used from spring through autumn. The trail thus combines exercise at the stations with a Kneipp facility that is available seasonally.

Discover more destinations: Cornberg, Philippsthal, Bebra, Kirchheim, Friedewald, Wildeck, Neuenstein, Ronshausen.

For the overarching travel overview: Hersfeld-Rotenburg.