 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German. (February 2009)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Bad Wildbad | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Bad Wildbad within Calw district  | |
 Location of Bad Wildbad | |
  Bad Wildbad  Bad Wildbad | |
| Coordinates:48°45′1″N8°33′02″E / 48.75028°N 8.55056°E /48.75028; 8.55056 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Karlsruhe |
| District | Calw |
| Subdivisions | 6 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2022–30) | Marco Gauger[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 105.22 km2 (40.63 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 425 m (1,394 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 10,601 |
| • Density | 100.75/km2 (260.94/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 75323 |
| Dialling codes | 07081 |
| Vehicle registration | CW |
| Website | www.bad-wildbad.de |
.jpg)
Bad Wildbad (German pronunciation:[baːtˈvɪltbaːt]ⓘ) is a town inGermany, in the state ofBaden-Württemberg. It is located in the government district (Regierungsbezirk) ofKarlsruhe and in the district (Landkreis) ofCalw. The current town of Bad Wildbad[3] is an amalgamation of several communities brought together under local government reform in 1974. The member communities are Wildbad, Calmbach, Sprollenhaus, Nonnenmiß and Aichelberg, along with thehamlets of Hünerberg und Meistern. The town was named onlyWildbad until 1991, when it was given its current name. "Bad" isGerman for "bath", a reference to the town's status as aspa town.
The name "Wiltbade" first appeared in a historical document in the northern Black Forest in the year 1345. The earliest documented reference to Wildbad is a request for the appointment of a Wildbad chaplain addressed to the Bishop of Speyer in 1376. Wildbad was officially designated as an official town (Amtsstadt) in 1442 amidst the protracted territorial division of Württemberg. It is likely that the town and market privileges were conferred upon Wildbad in the early decades of the 15th century.[4]
The thermal springs of the town have a historical utilization dating back to the Middle Ages. During the early modern period, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries, the area began to emerge as a notable spa and health resort, capitalizing on its therapeutic waters. However, it was in the 19th century that Bad Wildbad ascended to international prestige as a fashionable luxury spa destination, distinguished by its advanced hydrotherapy practices and a growing reputation for elite wellness treatments.[5]
Bad Wildbad is picturesquely situated 420 m abovesea level, in the romantic pine-clad gorge of theEnz, a tributary of theNeckar in theBlack Forest. The town is 45 km west ofStuttgart, 50 km southeast ofKarlsruhe, 30 km south ofPforzheim, and 23 km east ofBaden-Baden.
Towering above Bad Wildbad is a smallmountain, theWildbader Sommerberg, whose top may be reached by theSommerbergbahn, afunicular railway. It covers a vertical difference of about 300 m.
The area is picturesque, a beautiful spot being theWildsee — a small lake outside of town, measuring 2.3 ha, and at about 900 m above sea level.[6]
A popular hiking trail, the Fautsburg Path, runs through Aichelberg.[7]
The annualRossini in Wildbad opera festival, held in July, brings an international audience to the Kurhaus and the Kurtheater to hear belcanto works byGioachino Rossini and his contemporaries.[8]
The town is depicted in the novelArmadale byWilkie Collins.
Bad Wildbad is connected to Germany's national rail network through theKarlsruhe Stadtbahn, line S6, running on theEnz Valley Railway. Being located deep in the northern Black Forest, Bad Wildbad has no direct connection with anyAutobahn. The nearest one is just west ofPforzheim.
The town has a directTram link to Pforzheim by Line S6 which runs from the Kurpark in the town, along King Karl Street to the town's old railway station before heading out into the country via Calmbach,Höfen an der Enz,Neuenbürg andBirkenfeld.[6]
DukeKarl Alexander signed his contract (Schutzbrief) with the Jewish merchant and bankerJoseph Ben Isachar Süßkind Oppenheimer in Bad Wildbad. Karl Alexander and his relationship with Oppenheimer is fictionally portrayed inVeit Harlan's antisemitic 1940 Nazi propaganda film titledJud Süß.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Wildbad".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 632.
Towns and municipalities inCalw (district) | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
