I find the town of Bad Schmiedeberg in Saxony-Anhalt a bit odd. Of course, with a “Bad” designation you assume there’s a wonderful spa experience in store, which there is. But, you don’t usually go around thinking about nuclear war.
Yeah, I said it like that for shock value; but the builders of the Bunker Kossa-Söllichau thought that was a real possibility. The bunker was built by the Soviets back in the day when this part of Germany was East Germany to withstand a nuclear blast.
Now that the Cold War is over, the bunker is now a Military Museum; and you can even see a decontamination chamber.
Another reminder of war is the War Memorial to soldiers of World War I, located in the spa gardens. And then there are the graves of forced laborers in the town’s cemetery.
Not everyone is into military history, so I’ll skip on to tell you about the Kaiser Wilhelm Tower in the Dübener Heide (a nature park). The observation tower is only about 30 meters high, but you still get a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside.
You can keep the walking and cycling trails through the nature park, I’ll take the mineral and Kneipp spa instead. Check out the historic Spa House from the early 20th century.
And for any of you else out there that don’t like being too close to nature, I’d suggest you visit the Town Church that was originally a mid-15th century Gothic church, only to be redone in a Baroque style a couple centuries later.
Don’t leave out a visit to the Renaissance style Town Hall, or just walking around looking at all the pretty mansions. The Castle Reinharz isn’t in the mansion category, that’s in a class all its own.
Throw a bunch of concerts, theater performances, and guided tours and walks into the mix, and you’ve got the best time.
Even if it is a bit “odd” to have the topic of nuclear war brought up. But, that’s alright — it’s all part of Bad Schmiedeberg’s charm.
