I know my usual modes operandi is to first mention beer when talking about Bavaria. But, when it comes to Bad Griesbach im Rottal beer kind of takes a backseat.
Is that even possible not to consider beer? With an emphatic yes I would say since I fell in love with the Bad Griesbach-Therme. And as much as I love Germany’s beers and castles I still felt my heart belonged to another.
But, first things first. I’ll tell you about the historical sites of town, then its off to the spa. Deal? OK, great.
You’d never guess that the Griesbach Castle is almost a thousand years old. I should say, the original castle would have been a millennia old had it not been destroyed in the 16th century, forcing the owners to rebuild the whole enchilada.
Bad Griesbach also has no less than six magnificent churches, including one pilgrimage church (St. Wolfgang in the village of Weng) and the church of the St. Saviour Monastery.
You’re also able to check out a prehistoric ore mining site.
For the very first time I’m going to say: whew with the sightseeing. Crazy, right? It’s just that there are 147 golf holes to tackle in Bad Griesbach. No, it’s not the world’s largest golf course, it’s divided between six (!) 18-hole, three 9-hole, and two 6-hole courses.
Golf isn’t the only sport around here. Come to think of it, I better tell you now that staying for a few days (months) is the only way you’re going to see & do it all. Bad Griesbach has (besides the whole regular golf thing) miniature golf, tennis, 17 Nordic walking paths, normal hiking trails, bicycling, an 80m water slide at the swimming pool, and hot air ballooning.
Oh my… I’m tired, I need a beer. ;-)
But, there’s no time for that. It’s about time to mosey over to the Bad Griesbach-Therme where we can float away the world’s worries in the spa’s healthy thermal waters which are at 30, 38, and 60 degrees Celsius respectively.
Some people (not me) prefer the Turkish Bath Hamam, where you’re wrapped up in next to nothing, scrubbed with a goat hair brush, and rubbed with hot stones.
There’s only one thing that can make your stay in Bad Griesbach any better. Be here during one of its festivals (you thought I was going to say something about a beer garden, didn’t you?).
The third-largest public festival in Bavaria is at the end of August, a hot air balloon festival is mid-August, and the Lantern Festival is at the end of July. Plus, mid-September is when Bad Griesbach holds its Rottaler Nordic Walking Marathon.
Even if you don’t do the marathon’s 11, 21, or 42km walk, you can always sit on the sidelines cheering everyone with a good beer. ;-)
