That very famous playwright, Shakespeare, wrote, what’s in a name?
I’ll tell you, what’s in a name, if you want to know. How about this… Just about anything with the name “Bad” in it, is good in Germany. Very, very good.
So, Bad Marienberg (Westerwald) isn’t bad, after all, it’s quite good.
The name “Bad” means it’s a “spa” town, all the better to get pampered then, huh?
And a good place to start is the Spa Garden, a Kneipp area that’s even got a whole course designed for you to walk without any shoes on. Don’t you remember what it was like a kid to run through the grass without shoes on? Yeah, you can feel like that once again.
You’ll probably need shoes to hike Bad Marienberg’s many hiking trails, which will take you around places like the old basalt quarry. The Westerwaldsteig, a 200km long-distance hiking route, comes right through town; but I suggest you stick around for while before flittering off. Because, just so you know, there’s a myriad of stuff to do.
You know, like miniature golfing, a chance to play tennis or beach volleyball, go mountain biking or horseback riding, paragliding, or do some great winter sports (tobogganing, skiing, that sort of thing).
Inasmuch as Bad Marienberg is good for your mental health, it’s good for the brain, too. A Local History Museum (called Heimatmuseum, located at Wilhelmstraße 10) is great for learning all about this Westerwald town.
And, at the town’s Wildlife Park, you can find out all kinds of nifty things like Falconry — in addition to seeing peacocks, wild boar, and bison.
Not to forget the Apothekergarten, or Pharmacist Garden, a garden full of medical herbs and plants. Hmmm, it smells so good around here…
I must go on to Bismarckstraße, the Basaltpark awaits me — an area (they even call it an outdoor museum) with basalt from volcano activities from like 25 million years ago, basalt mining exhibits included.
The place isn’t all spa services, learning experiences, and outdoor sports. There are old sites in town, like the Pfarrkirche (Parish Church) that’s been here for more than 700 years.
And the town’s got more cultural events than you can imagine. The Kirmes in May is a lot of fun, as is the Summer Festival, not to mention all the Christmas events held throughout the holiday season.
So, the next time the question comes up about a name — remember that good things are sometimes called “Bad.”
