Bad Reichenhall: Saltworks, spa culture and Thumsee
Accommodation in Bad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall can be explored through several distinct themes: the Old Saltworks, with guided tours, a salt and brands museum and a salt shop; Romanesque architecture at St. Zeno Minster; and the Royal Spa Gardens. Spa concerts, activities in Rupertuspark and the circular trail around Thumsee round out the options. This lets you choose how much to focus on culture, history and outdoor activities.
Salt, city history and architecture
The admission price for the Old Saltworks includes a guided tour, a visit to the salt and brands museum, and a final stop at the salt shop.
St. Zeno Minster dates from the 12th century. This three-aisled basilica from the Hohenstaufen period was built over 80 years. With a floor plan measuring 90 metres in length, it is considered the largest Romanesque church in Old Bavaria and houses numerous art treasures. Its construction period, floor plan and architectural style offer different points of interest if you are interested in Romanesque architecture.
The Reichenhall Museum offers insights into the more than 4,000-year history of Bad Reichenhall and its surroundings. It complements the minster’s architectural history with a broader view of the development of the city and its surroundings.
Spa gardens, concerts and activities
The Royal Spa Gardens lie in the heart of Bad Reichenhall and are a therapeutic garden for relaxation. They were laid out in 1868 by Carl von Effner, Royal Bavarian court gardener.
Around 350 spa concerts featuring different ensembles take place in Bad Reichenhall each year. The programme includes matinées, salon concerts, request concerts, chamber music and symphony concerts. If a particular concert is important to your trip, check the dates for your travel period.
In Rupertuspark, you can go Nordic walking, work out on outdoor fitness equipment and set off on a tour of Nonner Au. There are several ways to stay active there. Thumsee offers a different kind of outing: it is about one kilometre long, and its circular trail attracts visitors all year round. This gives you the option of treating activities in the park and a walk around the lake as separate parts of your stay.
Salt in the Berchtesgadener Land
In the wider Berchtesgadener Land destination, Berchtesgaden Salt Mine offers its own perspective on the subject of salt. It has been operating for more than 500 years and illustrates the present-day journey of brine from its extraction underground to its transport to Bad Reichenhall and processing into high-quality table salt. At the salt mine, visitors also cross the underground Mirror Lake on a raft, 130 metres below ground. This visitor experience is part of the mine in Berchtesgaden, not the Old Saltworks in Bad Reichenhall. Check opening times and booking conditions separately for each attraction.
Discover more destinations: Piding, Schneizlreuth, Schönau am Königssee, Ski accommodation in Berchtesgaden, Marktschellenberg, Teisendorf, Anger, Bischofswiesen.
Back to the regional travel overview: Berchtesgadener Land.
