The world-famous health resort is situated close to the Rhön Mountains in Lower Franconia in Bavaria. The medicinal springs are known since 823, when they were first recorded in an official document.

Bad Kissingen reached the peak of its fame in the 19th century, when it was rebuilt as a health resort by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, and successively visited by Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Tsar Alexander II of Russia and King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the latter known for the phantastic palaces and castles he built in Upper Bavaria.

Bad Kissingen was also a spa preferred by Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck who was almost assassinated in Bad Kissingen in 1874. Since 2004 Bad Kissingen boasts of a new spa leisure centre named KissSalis Therme, which attracts many visitors. Bad Kissingen is visited by more than 1.5 millions of people yearly.

Among the most important monuments to be seen in Bad Kissingen range the Bismarck Monument, the Bismarck Tower, the Ludwig Tower and the Wittelsbacher Tower. Visitors should also see the renaissance Old Town Hall, and the Art Nouveau Spa Theatre which was completed in 1905. The KissSalis Therme is one of the largest wellness baths in Europe.

Bad Kissingen offers an attractive set of regular events, including:

Kissinger Sommer (international music festival in June and July)
Kissinger Winterzauber (international music festival December/January)
Bad Kissingen Theatre Days in August
Rákóczi Festival (last weekend of July)
Kissinger Piano Olympics (September)

For further information (in German): http://www.badkissingen.de/de/index.html

Photo: Bad Kissingen, Travelpeter/Shutterstock