Bad Ems – A Healing German Spa Town Near the Rhine

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Bad Ems

I went to Bad Ems because of a photo. A grand hotel on a slip of a river valley with steep wooded hills behind.

Hot Springs and Historic Spas

From the picture it looked as if Bad Ems would have everything I want in a spa town: Belle Epoque architecture, a scenic setting, and plenty of nature to get out in.

Best of all, Bad Ems has 15 mineral springs that are still used in spa treatments and healing therapies today.

As a longtime spa reviewer, I’m passionate about thermal springs and historic spas, so I booked a week’s stay at the hotel in the photo, Häcker’s Grand Hotel.

About Bad Ems

Situated about 100 km northwest of Frankfurt, depending on which road you take, this tiny spot on the Lahn River – a tributary of the Rhine – was once a flashpoint for emperors, kings and aristocrats.

Kaiser Wilhelm I was a devoted fan, as was Tsar Alexander II of Russia. They would come for lengthy summer spa cures that revolved around the town’s healing springs.

Of course more went on than soaking.

Marriages were made, affairs embarked upon and political alliances forged. Gossip flourished around drinking fountains, music rang out in concert halls, and great sums were lost in Germany’s oldest casino.

In short, it’s my kind of place.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

One of only 11 UNESCO Great Spa Towns of Europe, Bad Ems has a small but well-preserved spa quarter with architecture that spans from Baroque to Neo-Rococo.

Less well-known than other German spas like Baden-Baden and Wiesbaden, and smaller than fellow UNESCO Great Spa Bad Kissingen, Bad Ems still has a lot to offer.

You can soak in pools sourced from the hot springs, cycle along the Lahn River to the Rhine, swan around historic buildings and hike to your heart’s content.

You may not want to spend an entire week here like we did (it is a pretty small town), but this guide will show you how to spend a fantastic couple of days.

Best Things To Do in Bad Ems

1. Explore the Historic Buildings of the Spa Zone

The spa quarter is compact, and it won’t take much time to check out the heritage buildings. These are ones to see:

Häcker’s Hotel

Even in the Dark Ages, the hot springs underneath Häcker’s Grand Hotel were used for healing purposes, and in the 1300s bath houses were built here on the order of the Duchess of Katzenelnbogen.

In 1711 a princess of the Orange Nassau family built a Baroque ‘bathing palace’ here. Today, after many expansions and remodelings it’s a luxury hotel with an ornate (some might say excessive) decor.

The Kursaal

Across the road from Häcker’s is the riverside Kursaal building.

Basically, it’s a bucket term for the interconnected sights of the Marble Hall, the Spa Theatre and the Casino Bad Ems. (It took me awhile to figure that out.)

The Marble Hall

Modelled after an Italian villa, this lavish concert room and cultural event space was built between 1836-1839 in a Neo-Renaissance style with columns of Lahn Valley marble.

Spa Theatre (The Kurtheatre)

A gilded room of cream and crimson, the Spa Theatre was built in the early 20th century in a flowery Neo-Rococo style. Neo-Rococo is a style that is the opposite of the clean lines of Neoclassicism, which was a reaction against the original ornate Rococo style … should I stop now?

Casino Bad Ems (The Spielbank)

They may call the Spielbank Bad Ems the oldest casino in Germany, but the actual oldest casino is right beside it – the Marble Hall, where gambling was in fashion as far back as 1720.

💦 Travel Tip: The casino in Baden-Baden makes the same claim to aged fame.

2. Promenade Along the River

Take a walk through the spa park along the Lahn River like centuries of well-heeled visitors before you.

Dating back to the 1600s, the park was enlarged in the 1800s, part in a French style and part in an English style, and I never figured out which was which.

Here are a couple of things you can see on your walk.

Saint Alexandra Russian Orthodox Church

You can hardly miss the gold and blue domes of the Russian Orthodox Church across the river, built for the many Russian guests doing lengthy spa cures and funded by Tsar Alexander II.

House With Four Towers – The Karlsburg

This unique Baroque masterpiece was once a luxury hotel patronized by the lofty likes of the King of Sweden. It became the summer residence of Tsar Alexander II.

(In a boring turn of events, it’s now a government office.)

3. Rejuvenate With a Bad Ems Spa Day

There are many types of spas, and the Bad Ems tradition of wellness is based on balneotherapy (bathing in mineral springs), and drinking the water.

There are two great places to spa in Bad Ems, and my husband and I made good use of both of them. Not for treatments, necessarily, but to use the sauna, pool and wellness facilities.

Spa and Sauna at Häcker’s Grand Hotel

Even if you’re not staying at Häcker’s, you can get a day pass for the spa.

It’s a quirky charming wellness centre, with a splash of grandeur and plenty of nods to its historic past.

One of the saunas, in fact, is lined with photos of Kaiser Wilhelm I. It also contains, inexplicably, what looks like a wooden throne.

We always seemed to be finding new rooms to explore in the Hacker’s sauna area.

One of my favourites was a twilight-y circular room imbued with thermal mist. Another was the Krauter Dampfbad, a steam room infused with fresh rosemary.

For a bit of whimsy, check out the outdoor sauna cabin designed to resemble a Russian Orthodox church – and which comes complete with rousing Russian music.

You can finish your spa day off with a few laps in the hotel’s thermal pool, under a painted ceiling and surrounded by elaborate slabs of marble and stone.

Emser Therme – A Modern Day Thermal Pool Complex

If you like hot springs soaking (and who doesn’t?), here’s a fun place for you.

The riverside Emser Therme is a contemporary bathing and sauna complex, designed with lots of light and natural materials.

You can explore different ways to soak, steam and spa at this Bad Ems therme for hours.

There are indoor and outdoor pools (including a hilarious current pool where you whip around like a racehorse on a track), a salt inhalation room and something called a Thermal Rain Field.

The Sauna Park at Emser Therme

The adult-only clothing-free Sauna Park is a separate part of Emser Therme with an added entrance fee. It has a variety of saunas, steam rooms and rituals led by sauna masters.

(Before you go you might want to read my article on the rules and etiquette of German saunas.)

The main claim to fame at the Sauna Park is the floating sauna, the first of its kind in Germany. Set on pontoons, the sleek sauna has panoramic windows, spectacular river views, and even an outdoor terrace.

💦 Spa Tip: We avoided the Emser Therme on weekends and after 5 p.m. to avoid crowds. Check their website to see how full it is.

4. Sample the Springs

Why go to a spa town and not sip from the source? There are fountains everywhere around Bad Ems.

Our go-to springs were:

• The Kranchen Brunnen. You can find this historic fountain in the lobby of Hacker’s Hotel in the little rotunda by the bar.
• The Romerquelle (the Roman Spring). This picturesque drinking fountain with a swirly mosaic floor and covered roof is outside between Hacker’s and the Kursaal.
• The most dramatic spring isn’t one you’d want to drink from. The Robert-Kampe Sprudel next to Hacker’s is a geyser that rises up 8 metres in the air. Good for a spot of healthy vapour breathing.

About Bad Ems Water

These are alkaline-muriatic acidulous springs. This means they’re mineral-rich, salty and good for conditions like respiratory, digestive and circulatory system issues.

They’re the only springs of this kind in Germany, though their chemical makeup is similar to the Cross Spring in the Czech spa town of Marianske Lazne.

If you want to go into the water in more depth (pun intended) check out the Bad Ems website.

5. Cycle Along the Lahn

Even though we were visiting Bad Ems in early November we were lucky enough to be able to cycle nearly everyday. Check to see if your hotel rents them out – ours did.

The 245 km Lahnradweg Cycling Trail is one of the most beautiful long-distance cycle paths in Germany, and Bad Ems is a good base to ride it.

The stretch we usually did was along the Lahn River. One day we cycled from Bad Ems to Koblenz on the Rhine River and took the train back.

💦 Travel Tip: You can’t take your bike on every train. We got shouted at quite dramatically when we tried to put our bikes on a commuter train at rush hour. Look for train cars with bicycle signs on them – those are the ones you can go in.

6. Take the Funicular – (The Kurwaldbahn)

Honestly, the town needs to make the sign for the cable car more clear.

We walked past it nearly every day without noticing it. The entrance is set back from the street, between storefronts so keep your eyes peeled. It’s across the street from the Spielbank.

Once we found it, it was a good two minutes of fun, rising 132 metres on one of the steepest funiculars in the world.

At the top is the area called Bismarckhöhe.

Here you’ll find a 19th-century tower dedicated to Otto von Bismarck, a restaurant and beer garden named Brauhaus Bismarcks, some parkland with walking trails, (and a lot of health clinics).

We did a nice woodland hike down back to town.

7. Eat – Bad Ems Restaurants

💦 Travel Tip: If you’re going to eat in Bad Ems on a Saturday night, make a reservation. We couldn’t get into any of the restaurants we wanted to, and ended up snacking in a bleak cafe.

Bismarck Brewery – (Brauhaus Bismarcks)

For a restaurant with a view, I’d suggest the Bismarck Brewery.

It’s a homey place at the top of the funicular, with a fairly traditional German menu and stellar views of the spa quarter and the gorgeous Lahn River Valley below.

Hottes Stadl Restaurant and Bar

Located right on the Romerstrasse, the main street of the spa zone, Hottes Stadl was Mark’s favourite restaurant, and he would have eaten here every night if he could have. (We had some words about that.)

Of course we ordered Wiener Schnitzel and Jägerschnitzel. Portions were huge, the walls are wood-panelled and vibe is cozy, friendly and pub-like, because it basically is a pub with good solid fare.

Halberts Restaurant at Emser Therme

If you’re at the Emser Therme spa and don’t want to leave, you can grab a casual meal at the onsite restaurant. Dishes range from rump steak with rosemary potatoes to rice bowls.

It’s not gourmet but I had a good experience because they went to great lengths to explain what their special of day was, the zanderfilet. (It’s a pike-perch filet.)

8. Get Hiking

There are hikes everywhere in Bad Ems, with historic viewpoints, plaques and pavilions dotted through the hills.

Trails in Bad Ems

Bad Ems is on the 290-km Lahnwanderweg Trail, a 19-stage route that traces the source of the Lahn River to the Rhine, so that should keep you busy.

Not quite that ambitious? Neither were we. The HöhenLuft Premium Trail is an award-winning trail you can access from the top of the funicular.

Our hike of choice was around the corner from Hacker’s Hotel. Cross the street by the geyser and follow the trail up the mountain for a panoramic view.

On another day we crossed the Lahn, walked up past the villas and found a network of trails there.

9. Suck the Salt

Say, what? Emser Lozenges, incorporating the mineral salts of the springs, have been popular since 1855. Apparently they’re popular with opera singers. A soothing mix of salty and sweet, I found them quite addictive.

10. Sleep – Hotels in Bad Ems

Häcker’s Hotel

If you want to be in the heart of the spa zone, Häcker’s Hotel – also called Häcker’s Kurhotel – is your place. Aside from free spa access, another perk is the extensive buffet breakfast in the very grand restaurant. We loved our stay here.

Check prices and availability for Häcker’s Hotel here.

Emser Thermenhotel

This modern 4-star hotel with a rooftop lounge is ideal for people who are here for a full-on spa break, as it’s connected to the Emser Therme thermal pool complex.

It’s not right in the spa zone but it’s a walkable distance, and all rooms face the Lahn River.

Check prices and availability for the Emser Thermenhotel here.

Maharishi Bad Ems

An alternative path to wellness is with the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre in Bad Ems. Europe’s largest Ayurvedic private clinic, it’s based in the Imperial Wing of Häcker’s Hotel.

Why Visit Bad Ems

For a taste of the past, a splash of thermal water and superb opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, Bad Ems is well worth a visit.

And that photo that convinced me to go? It’s every bit as stunning in real life.