Badehaus, national heritage site

The Badehaus is a former spa building in Bad Soden am Taunus, completed in 1870/71 on the site of the former Saline. It has a slate roof and enlarged windows; the upper floor was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt. Since 1997 it has housed the town library, town archive, town museum and town gallery.

The Badehaus was built in 1870/71 on the site of the former Saline in the Alten Kurpark, after wooden piles were driven into unsuitable ground. The windows were enlarged and the leaking zinc roof replaced with slate soon after. An extra storey followed in 1906, and the building was extended again in 1913/14. Heavily damaged in World War II, it reopened in June 1947 and was restored in 1997.

The building reflects how Bad Soden became a destination for health-seeking visitors in the 1800s. The small bathing cabins show how people once gathered to experience treatments with local mineral waters as part of their wellness routines.

The building is straightforward to navigate with distinct areas including a library, galleries, and museum on different levels. Visitors should allow time to explore the various sections and any exhibitions currently on display.

The bathhouse had 40 bathing cabins fitted with wooden and stoneware tubs. The windows were enlarged soon after the 1870/71 opening because the small originals gave the building a barn-like look. In 1997 the restored ground floor became the town library.