It quickly became clear that the small town was an attractive tourist destination. Basically, Bad Lausick has built on the traditions of its beginnings over the centuries and created a picture-book spa town whose face is shaped by the latest medicine, the famous healing water and nature.
From Settlement to Spa Town
Bad Lausick was first mentioned as "Luzke" in 1096. Shortly afterwards, known as a "fortified town and market", the town experienced strokes of fate such as the plague, which made the town almost uninhabitable. Several large fires also hit "Lausigk", until by 1719 only eight houses and 21 barns were left standing. The town was therefore on the verge of collapse. In the Napoleonic Wars that followed from 1803 to 1815, Napoleon and the French Guard Corps visited Bad Lausick, among other places, before moving on from there to the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig (October 1813), which ended in defeat for Saxony. Fortunately, however, fortunes slowly began to take a positive turn in 1820, when healing water was first discovered in Bad Lausick during coal mining. The healing, soothing and preventative effects of natural healing water were already known in ancient times. In 1821, the Hermannsbad was consecrated in Bad Lausick, officially marking the beginning of spa operations in the town. The spa was named after the discoverer of the Bad Lausick healing water, Gottlieb Friedrich Herrmann. The town quickly developed into a popular health resort and was finally able to call itself "Bad" in 1913. A final safeguard for the future was made in 1998 by exploratory drilling for further healing waters. Today, Bad Lausick thermal water is pumped from a depth of over 1.300 meters and made available for drinking cures and also for bathing.
Architectural features and idyllic walks
The town hall plays an important role in Bad Lausick, which was destroyed by a fire in 1890. Fortunately, it was able to be rebuilt in another location in 1897. It is worth mentioning that the architect of the brick building, Theodor Kösser, also left his mark in Leipzig. He designed the Mädler Passage in Leipzig's city center, among other things. Also worth seeing is St. Kilian's Church, a three-aisled Romanesque pillar basilica. It was built in 1105 on the orders of Wiprecht von Groitzsch, who was Margrave of Meissen and Lusatia at the time. The Romanesque west portal made of Rochlitz porphyry tuff is remarkable. In the 18th century, the interior of the church was redesigned in the Baroque style. It also received a Baroque tower, which still characterizes the cityscape today. The Romanesque west portal of the church is considered an architectural speciality in Saxony due to its expressive design with animal motifs, masked heads and richly decorated arches. Music lovers can marvel at the Silbermann-Trampeli organ from 1722 in St. Kilian's Church. The organ is the work of the Saxon organ builder Gottfried Silbermann. It was later expanded by Johann Gottlieb Trampeli. Silbermann originally built this organ for St. John's Church in Chemnitz. It was later sold to Auligk (near Pegau) and finally installed in St. Kilian's Church in 1957 after restoration.
Anyone interested in the eventful history of Bad Lausick can find out more at the spa and town museum, which opened in 2008. It is located in one of the oldest town houses in the town, which has been extensively renovated in accordance with historic preservation regulations, in a central location on the market square, right next to the spa and tourist information office. The museum provides information about the outstanding regional importance of Bad Lausick in administrative, ecclesiastical and, at times, military terms. At the same time, the development of the town into a renowned spa and bathing resort is highlighted.
Another attraction in Bad Lausick is the spa park, originally in English style, with the "Butterfly" open-air stage. The park covers an area of 16 hectares and is impressive due to its large and old trees. From bright splashes of color in spring to the rose blossoms in summer, the colorful coloring of the leaves in autumn and even in winter, the snow-covered spa park conjures up a special atmosphere. The center of the park is the open-air stage, which was named "Butterfly" due to its unusual shape. The building is a wooden structure that is open on all sides and rests as a curved structure on several supports that are reminiscent of trees.
On a walk through the idyllic spa district, you can marvel at the wealth of the old spa town. The villa colony and the swan pond were built at the end of the 19th century and have largely been preserved to this day. On a relaxed stroll, you can admire the beauty of the architecture. Another historical feature in Bad Lausick are the preserved mills. The post mill in the Ballendorf district was built in 1684, and its current appearance dates from 1835. Flour was milled here using wind power until 1953. After that, the milling operation continued electrically. The mill was last in operation in 1972. Visitors can view a complete and functional mill facility by prior appointment by telephone. The Ebersbach post mill, which was built in 1859, can also be viewed by appointment.
Relax, get going, have fun and let off steam
Bad Lausick offers an attractive range of excursion destinations of all kinds, especially for families. The RIFF spa and adventure pool has a spacious bathing and sauna area, a leisure pool, a children's pool and a wellness area, making it interesting for adults and children, young and old. The slogan "Relax, get moving, have fun and let off steam" is a top priority at the RIFF and at the RIFF Resort, the holiday apartment complex with a bathrobe corridor.
Those who prefer something a little quieter can take a stroll through Bad Lausick on the blue and white "Schlendrian" narrow-gauge railway during the summer months and take in the beautiful sides of the spa town. Accompanied by a city guide, visitors can get to know the striking points of the spa district and the town center. Many events take place as part of the spa town's health offering and range from fashion shows to readings, cabarets and lectures to nature walks that are thematically appropriate to the season. Bad Lausick has two facilities for inpatient treatment. The "MEDIAN Clinic" is a rehabilitation center specializing in cardiovascular diseases and orthopedics. The Sachsenklinik with Haus Hermannsbad focuses on neurological, orthopedic and psychosomatic diseases. Both centers are surrounded by extensive forests in the middle of a charming hilly landscape and thus offer all the conditions for successful recovery.
A relaxing range of events
The spa and town museum is equipped with an audiovisual and a listening station, which convey the historical spa operations and the brilliant sound of the Silbermann-Trampeli organ in Bad Lausick's St. Kilian's Church. Guided tours can be booked by telephone. Every year at the start of the open-air season, events such as spa concerts take place on the open-air stage. The concert and open-air stage in the spa park is also the venue for major events such as the fountain festival, which has been taking place since 1893 - when the spa park is illuminated by thousands of small lanterns. In winter, numerous concerts take place in the spa facilities.
Historic castles and legendary escape attempts
In the immediate vicinity, fifteen minutes by car, is Colditz Castle, whose international fame dates back to the last millennium. It particularly attracts visitors from abroad due to the adventurous stories from the Second World War, when the castle served as a prison camp for Allied officers. The rear part was specially set up for this purpose and called "Oflag IV C". More than 1.000 high-ranking officers from Poland, England, France, Belgium and the Netherlands were imprisoned in the prison. Although it was considered escape-proof, around 300 soldiers attempted to escape from Colditz Castle - 31 even succeeded. The Colditz Castle Escape Museum is dedicated to this exciting part of the castle's history. With authentic tools and equipment as well as a replica of a homemade glider with which two prisoners tried to escape over the Mulde, the museum brings the castle's fascinating history to life. Also on display are parts of a 44-meter-long escape tunnel and a homemade wooden sewing machine for making fake uniforms. The small towns of Rochlitz and Grimma are also ideal day trip destinations. Nature lovers can go hiking in the Colditzer Forest nature reserve near Bad Lausick or explore the area by bike.
Important facts at one glance
The town of Bad Lausick is located in the Leipzig district in Saxony and is the seat of the Bad Lausick administrative community. With around 8.000 inhabitants, the town is known in the Leipzig region primarily as a state-approved health resort. The town is divided into 12 villages and is located on the Chemnitz-Leipzig railway line on federal highway 176. The urban area belongs to the Central German Transport Association. Bus lines 277, 278, 289, 293, 611, 613 and 614 stop here.