Not far from Bayreuth in the Upper Franconian region lies the tiny village of Bad Alexandersbad, proving once and for all that great things come in small packages.
Ok, that’s a bit misleading because, while Bad Alexandersbad isn’t even nine square kilometers (with a population around 1,000), it does belong to the Verwaltungsgemeinshaft Tröstau, a collective municipality that epands its reach a tad bit (at least politically).
What this tiny spa town lacks in size it makes up for with heart. Consider it your own personal oasis for outdoor activities like Nordic Walking, mountain biking, or just plain hiking.
There’s nothing plain about hiking, really, considering you’ll see some gorgeous Luisenburg rock formations (keep your camera handy) while you’re out exploring.
The sweet Franconian air is also perfect for trying tobogganing (like an alpine roller coaster), there’s even golfing nearby, and if you’ve chosen to come during the winter then you’ve got a choice of either Alpine or Cross-country skiing. Most people, however, come for the healing waters, and have been since its discovery in the 18th century.
Spa culture in Bad Alexandersbad is quite lively, and you can learn a lot more at the town’s Guest Services building, located at Markgrafenstraße 28. These nice people can tell you more about the Altes Kurhaus (Old Spa House), or the Fichtelgebirgsmuseum. The latter is a long name, right, which plainly goes to show that this spa village lies within the wonderful Fichtelgebirge.
The officials will also tell you about Schloss Alexandersbad. It’s quite rare for a small German village to have its own castle, but it does — and what a beautiful one it is. Once used for housing royal spa guests, osteopaths use the castle today for their scientific work and healing abilities.
In the village of Nagel you’ll also find a Kneipp facility, plus a lake (Nagler See) and a couple of “scenic routes” of sorts — like the Franconian Mountain Trail, the Quellenweg, and the Jean-Paul-Weg.
If you’re going to do all this spa stuff, hiking, cycling, and everything in between — at one point you’re going to have to eat. And thankfully you’ll find quite an array of culinary delights, so there’s no way you’ll come away from Bad Alexandersbad hungry.
As if eating, outdoor activity, and spa experiences aren’t enough, Bad Alexandersbad has some pretty awesome cultural events, too. You know, things like Spa Concerts; the Lichterfest (Lights Festival with fireworks over at the castle), and the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market).
Plus, you’re perfectly located for excursions to places like Kloster Waldsassen, or the Wildpark Waldberg.
With history and culture, plenty of spa treatments, and culinary delights — Bad Alexandersbad does amazingly well for its diminutive size. But, seriously, this is Bavaria, did you really expect anything less? I sure didn’t. ;-)
