Oh yeah, it’s so good to be Bad. Well, that is if you’re in a place like Bad Schlema, a wonderful spa town on the Silberstraße, or Silver Route — a scenic route highlighting 140km of mining throughout the region.
Great, spa stuff for when you’re all done doing historical things; and is there ever quite a bit of history to learn about around here.
While I’m one to totally advocate seeing places on terra firma, this has got to be one of the best towns to see from the air. Go on, take a hot air balloon ride over the Ore Mountains, you’ll love it.
And it’s here that you’ll go from the friendly skies, to what lies beneath. Mining was huge here, thus the whole Silberstraße, where everything from copper to iron to uranium was mined. It is these miners that Bad Schlema honors at the Bergmannstag every July, starting with a commemoration to the miners who died during an accident in 1955.
Just so you know, there are more festive events in Bad Schlema. Oh yeah, this is one fun-loving town. The Dorffest is a goodie, held every June; as is the Kurpark Run — a “marathon” of 6 or 10km. Umm, not me, I’ll take the Quell- und Weinfest in September, the Walpurgis fireworks in April, and most definitely the Europäisches Blasmusikfestival — a 3-day event with dozens of concerts of brass instruments.
I’ll also take a visit to the ruins of Isenburg Castle. Sorry, but I truly think there’s something magical and romantic about its crumbly grey stones — maybe ’cause I can vision what it looked like when it was built over 700 years ago.
Not your thing? No problem, there are plenty of Nordic Walking trails, e-biking opportunities, summer concerts to attend, and plenty of shopping at Bad Schlema’s Easter Market.
Plus, as its name implies, this is a spa town — so off to the spa facilities for a massage, a swim, or just relax in the Salt Cave. The salt grotto, by the way, helps with breathing.
Great, because I’m out of breath doing all of Bad Schlema’s stuff. ;-)