Close to the tiny village of Kreuth, at the southern end of Lake Tegernsee in Bavaria, Germany, lies Wildbad Kreuth, a spring with reputed healing properties. This place can probably only be found on very regional maps. In rough terms, it is a one-hour drive away from Munich (to the south-east) at the northern end of the Alps. Today, 'Wildbad Kreuth' is more commonly associated with the yellow building complex which was erected near the spring itself in the 16th Century. That complex was destroyed by fire, rebuilt, abandoned, re-rebuilt, set on fire, re-re-built, abandoned and re-re-re-built. At the time of writing, it serves as a convention centre owned and maintained by the Bavarian Christian Social Union, the local Conservative party.

History

The spring was discovered in the 14th Century by a hunter who was chasing a wounded female deer. He followed the deer's trail and found it resting at the spring. The story goes that the deer was tending its wounds at the spring because it had healing powers. The brochures don't mention what happened to the poor animal but it is this small episode that gives the place its name: Wild in this context means 'game' and bad is the German word for 'bath' or 'spring'. Furthermore, this is also the reason why the spring is still advertised as a healing spring.

The first mention of a bath near the spring is from 1490; it was called St Leonhard, and was more of a shack than a building. In 1511, Abbot Henry V von Tegernsee decided to build a proper bathing resort and he thought that Wildbad Kreuth was the ideal spot to do so. The bathing complex served its purpose well for nearly 300 years, during which time it burned down a couple of times but was re-erected every time. By 1803, the Abbots of Tegernsee, who were the owners of the resort, sold it (for a bagatelle¹) to Simon Zahler under the condition that he should never let the bath fall into a state of disrepair. Zahler died only a few years later and his sons inherited the building and ended up abandoning it.

In 1818, the ruins were sold (for a fortune) to the King - Max I Joseph of Bavaria, who re-erected most of the old building and extended it with luxurious annexes. Wildbad Kreuth was now a royal relaxing-spa with healing springs. Max frequently invited those of European royal prominence to spend some time there along with some oil-massage. There are plaques and portraits reminding of some illustrious visitors to this site (eg, the Russian Czar Nicholas I).

The Wildbad Kreuth building complex remained in royal hands until the end of the Second World War, when it was set on fire by American troops in the last days of the war². It was re-built into a sanatorium in the 1950s, which was shut down in 1973. Since 1988, after the building was restored and expanded yet again, it harbours a convention centre maintained by the Hanns Seidel Foundation which is an outpost of the Bavarian Christian Social Union. Apart from big Conservative politics, many other non-political meetings also take place there. The convention centre has 140 rooms and an excellent kitchen. The pool and the sauna can be used by guests. Important note: The rooms have double doors - the first door does not have a keyhole. It must be opened by turning the brass t-shaped handle around using brute force. After the first door opens, the second door can be unlocked and the room entered.

What Else to Do

Wildbad Kreuth and its surroundings is also a great place for outdoor hiking. The region is spiked with picturesque little villages, cafés and farms, and the typical Alpine kitsch. The Wildbad Kreuth building complex itself is located on a plain in a valley, surrounded by smaller mountains. In front of the yellowish building is a huge lawn park and a small chapel. On the southern end of the building is the parking lot along with an ugly parking-lot utensil shack, which is obviously a lot more visible than the architect would have liked it to be. Hiking trails are well-signposted and start either from the parking lot or from the aforementioned chapel.

Summary

Wildbad Kreuth is a great place for hiking, a wonderful place to hold conventions and a superb place to admire the Bavaro-Alpine landscapes. It is a bit difficult to get to as it is somewhat hidden in the midst of the Bavarian outlands. Every 6 January people get the chance to see this nice environment on TV - OK, local TV. On this day all the Bavarian Conservative big-wigs gather there to discuss Conservative issues.