Bad Homburg vor der Höhe

Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is a spa town on the southern edge of the Taunus range in Hesse, spreading across gently rising slopes with wooded heights to the north and open parkland in the center. The old town clusters around a white palace with a prominent tower, while villa-lined streets, spa quarters and modern residential areas fan out from there.

A small settlement grew here around a fortress during medieval times, but the real rise began in 1834 when a physician from Frankfurt rediscovered the Elisabeth spring. The casino opened in 1841 and attracted European nobility and artists, quickly turning the town into a fashionable resort.

The prefix 'Bad' was officially granted in 1912, after decades during which visitors from across Europe came to sample the healing waters that shaped the town's elegant hotels and colonnades. Today both residents and travelers use the public fountain houses, where different mineral waters can be tasted directly from the source.

The large spa park in the center offers a good starting point for exploring, since most sights can be reached on foot from there. Hiking trails lead directly from the edge of town into the wooded hills of the Taunus, where you reach quieter areas within a short walk.

The local golf club was the first of its kind in Germany and still occupies its original site within the spa park. Players share the greens with walkers, who are allowed to cross between the fairways.