Bad Ems
The Picturesque Imperial Spa

Bad Ems, is a compact ‘Great Spa’, a model in form and function that documents the temporal depth of the European bathing tradition. Tightly contained in a deeply cut valley of a tributary of the Rhine, the picturesque ‘Imperial Spa’ became one of the most important spa towns in Germany; a venue for major political events and decisions, pioneering gaming and a linked musical heritage. Its thermal springs are clustered by the river where the principal spa quarter has continually occupied the same site throughout history. Distinguished architectural heritage reveal developments from the medieval ‘Wildbad’ through courtly life in the Baroque, to the sophisticated international resort of the nineteenth century and modernising developments of the early twentieth century. The transition into an interconnected spa landscape, with challenging therapeutic trails and high rocky overlooks, remains fully legible. Bad Ems mineral water has a long bottling history, and its salts were used in famous pastilles.

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