Just switch off for a while. Many of us have this desire, but often find it difficult to put into practice. Those who are looking for relaxation in everyday life away from vacations in faraway countries will find it in day spas, saunas, or on an outing in nature. A combination of these elements works best for truly switching off. The best way to do this is to take a day trip from Munich to a small town in the Allgäu region, where Kneipp himself once lived and worked.
Sebastian Kneipp and the creation of a health resort
Photo: Silviarita/Pixabay
In 1845, the future priest Sebastian Kneipp fell ill with tuberculosis and began bathing in the ice-cold Danube as a result. A decade later, he was transferred to the monastery in Bad Wörishofen, where he made profound changes. The Kneipp method he developed attracted numerous guests. They hoped to find relief from their ailments through his therapies and water cures. In 1889, Bad Wörishofen recorded approximately 4,000 spa guests; in the following years, the numbers rose to as many as 10,000. Due to the large influx, they had to be accommodated in the surrounding villages.
The demand for water cures led to more and more bathhouses opening their doors in Bad Wörishofen, and numerous hotels and guesthouses sprang up. Eventually, the community transformed into a spa town and Kneipp was made an honorary citizen. Throughout his life, he insisted that the poor and orphans be treated free of charge. In 1920, the town was awarded the title “Bad,” which it has borne ever since.
Sebastian Kneipp became famous beyond the borders of Germany and, at the beginning of the 20th century, after his death, was considered the most famous German in North America after Otto Bismarck. His bust can be found in the Hall of Fame at Bavaria on Theresienwiese. In 2015, the German UNESCO recognized the Kneipp method as intangible cultural heritage.
A day in Bad Wörishofen
Photo: Silviarita/Pixabay
If you would like to enjoy “Kneipping” for yourself, then you should take a trip to Bad Wörishofen. Here you will find a total of 24 public Kneipp facilities where you can tread water or use one of the arm baths. Each of the facilities has instructions and a water temperature between 8 and 16°C. In Wörthbach, you will find three natural water treading facilities where you can practice the Kneipp method.
If you don’t just want to tread water, but immerse yourself completely, you can do so in the thermal baths of Bad Wörishofen. The pools have various additives that ensure pure relaxation. Normally, the minimum age for admission to the thermal baths is 16. However, families with children are also welcome on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The sports pool, on the other hand, has no age restriction. The thermal landscape also has a sauna area with a total of 11 saunas, a steam bath, and a whirlpool.
The Bad Wörishofen monastery now houses the Kneipp Museum, where you can learn more about Sebastian Kneipp and his work. Other museums include the Doll Museum, the Carriage Museum, the Fishing Museum, the Aviation Museum, and the Photography Museum. If you are more interested in nature than culture, you can visit one of Germany’s largest rose gardens in the spa gardens. Here, over 530 varieties of roses bloom on 8,000 stems, and even away from the rose garden, the spa gardens invite you to stroll and linger.