DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Niedersachsen	Lower Saxony
Landkreis: Hameln-Pyrmont

map →

Bad Pyrmont, situated at an elevation of 98 m on the river Emmer in the Weserbergland mountain region, district Hameln-Pyrmont, is one of the best-known spas in Germany. The history of the town goes back to a castle that was founded at this place shortly after 1180 by the Archbishops of Cologne in order to secure the border of the duchy of Westfalia. The Counts of Schwalenberg obtained the castle as a fief. A younger line, the counts of Pyrmont, originated in 1194 and obtained the sovereignty over 10 villages in 1194. When the family became extinct in 1494, their domains were inherited by the counts of Gleichen, Lippe, and finally Waldeck in 1625. "Neustadt Pyrmont" became chartered as a town in 1720. An independent principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont was created in 1805 but fell back to the principality of Waldeck in 1813. Pyrmont joined the Prussian Customs Union in 1841 and became part of Prussia in 1922, the remaining part of the principality of Waldeck followed in 1929. The predicate "Bad" ('spa') was added to the name of the town in 1914. In 1956 Pyrmont became an independent city. In 1973 all municipalities of the former principality of Pyrmont were incorporated into the city of Pyrmont.

The tradition of Bad Pyrmont as a spa goes back to Roman times, suggested by relics of a sanctuary dating from the 1st to 3rd centuries. The first pump room in baroque style was built in 1668. The spa soon attracted numerous guests from the nobility from all over Europe and became one of the leading European spa towns during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. During the so-called "Pyrmonter Fürstensommer" of 1681 not less than 34 princes and kings came to Pyrmont. In 1947 the spa obtained the status of a Lower Saxon state spa.

Pyrmont castle [left] was founded by the archbishops of Cologne shortly after 1180. The name of the castle, petri mons or piremont, appears first in a document of 1184 and became the origin of the name Pyrmont. Between 1526 and 1562 the castle was enlarged into a fortress. In 1706–1728 the old fortress was rebuilt and became a Baroque summer residence castle. Since 1956 the castle is owned by the state of Lower Saxony.

The Kurhaus [near left] was built in 1907.