With life still heavily restricted here in Germany, we are very much looking forward to traveling home to the US in just 20 days! As a way of counting down, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of the beautiful, strange, and unique Germans towns we have walked around during the last year and a half of lockdown.

Bad Nauheim – Elvis and Salt Water Walls

Our region of Germany has a surprising number of small towns that are known for having healing waters, and Bad Nauheim is one of those. Located about 30 miles north of Frankfurt, Bad Nauheim has a large spa complex, mineral springs you can drink from, and a beautiful town park with millions of tulips in the spring.

One of the more unique spa features is an almost 3-story wall jam-packed with twigs. Water is pumped to the top of the wall and allowed to trickle back down. In the process, the water evaporates, and people gather to stand next to the wall, listen to the peaceful sound of the water, and breath the salty and presumably healthy vapors. One side of the wall is free, but (in normal times) you can pay a couple of Euros to go ‚inside‘ and have a beach chair and a little more sun.

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Bad Nauheim is also famous because Elvis was stationed here with the US Army from 1958-1960. He was already famous at the time, but was drafted just like any ‚regular‘ person. While he drove tanks and wore a uniform, by all accounts it was a pretty cush assignment with screaming fans, hotels, private cars and photo ops. But he was apparently a good soldier and the town claims him to this day. To commemorate Elvis‘ time here, the town even installed Elvis walk/don’t walk symbols! Also, note the kids on a bridge where Elvis once stood:

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20 Days – 20 Towns: Bad Nauheim