Bad Bertrich: Thermal Waters, History and Hiking

Bad Bertrich combines thermal waters with a landscape of volcanic origin. The town lies in the Üssbach Valley between the Moselle and the Volcanic Eifel and is surrounded by forest. Highlights of a stay here include the Vulkaneifel Therme, circular hikes through the geological landscape and traces of the town’s history. When planning a hotel stay, you can first decide whether relaxation, outdoor activities or an interest in history is your priority.

Thermal Waters and Wellness

The Vulkaneifel Therme has indoor and outdoor pools, adventure saunas with a volcano theme and a wellness area. Visitors can bathe in 32°C healing thermal water from Germany’s only Glauber’s salt thermal spring. The wellness options also include treatments such as massages and body wraps; availability may vary.

The natural healing water, at 32°C, can also be experienced outside the thermal baths: visitors can draw it from the drinking fountain in the Kursaal building at the spa gardens. If you plan to visit, check the local access conditions in advance. The thermal baths and drinking fountain offer different ways to experience the water: bathing in the pools and drawing water from the fountain.

Hiking Through the Volcanic Landscape

The HeimatSpur Geo-Route is an approximately seven-kilometre circular hike through the geological landscape around Bad Bertrich. It passes Palmberg, Viktoriahöhe, Ruflay and the volcanic Maischquelle spring. Along the way, the route reveals the town’s volcanic past: nine volcanoes were active there 50,000 years ago. The circular trail thus links named landscape features with a geological perspective on the surrounding area.

Another option is the HeimatSpur Kurschattensteig, also a seven-kilometre circular hike through the Volcanic Eifel around Bad Bertrich. Its soft trails and narrow sections with an almost alpine character give the route a different feel. The two trails are therefore similar in length but have different focuses: the Geo-Route highlights the geological landscape and its points of interest, while the Kurschattensteig showcases the character of its trails. As trail conditions can change with the seasons, check them locally before setting out.

Local History and Notable Viewpoints

The Kurfürstliches Schlösschen was built in 1787 as a summer residence for Clemens Wenzeslaus, the last Elector of Trier. It stands in a flowering spa garden. The Hohenzollernturm also offers views of Bad Bertrich and the surrounding hills and has a historical significance: it was built in 1896/97 as a memorial tower in connection with the 100th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I.

The protected tree of life in the Allengarten was planted more than 350 years ago. The tree is also connected with literature: around 1903, Clara Viebig drew inspiration from it for her novella The Tree of Life. The little palace, tower and tree each tell a different story—from the elector’s summer residence to a late-19th-century memorial and a literary connection dating to around 1903.

Getting Around the Town

Traffic in Bad Bertrich is restricted. Drivers are advised to use the parking areas at the eastern or western entrances to the town and explore on foot.

Facilities include a reading corner, free Wi-Fi, a children’s corner and an accessible guest toilet. The Tourist Information office is certified as “accessibility checked” and is partially accessible to people with mobility impairments. As certification periods and individual services can change, confirm the current details before your visit.

Bad Bertrich offers several different points of interest to consider when choosing a hotel: thermal waters and wellness, two circular trails with distinct characters, and historic sites in the spa gardens and the Allengarten. You can take into account which of these you would like to shape your stay when planning your trip.

For the broader travel overview: Ulmen.