Bad Ems, Thermal spa town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Bad Ems sits in the Lahn valley between forested slopes and draws on several mineral springs with temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. The river banks link spa buildings, parks and residential areas into a narrow ribbon of settlement.
The settlement received its charter in 1324 and developed from the 18th century into a spa for nobles and rulers. Kaiser Wilhelm I spent his summers here regularly and met the French ambassador in 1870 in a conversation that led to war.
The settlement takes its name from the warm springs that drew people here centuries ago. Today visitors use the spa facilities and drink the thermal water directly from fountains in the gardens.
The station lies on the Lahntal railway and offers regular connections in both directions along the river valley. A funicular runs from the center up to the observation tower on the hill above the town.
A gaming house from 1720 counts as one of the oldest in Germany and now displays its original roulette table in the local museum. The building stood at the start of a long tradition of gambling at German spa resorts.
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