Bad Dürrenberg: Graduation Tower and Salt History

For your trip to Bad Dürrenberg, the graduation tower and the history of salt production are two useful points of reference. There are also several ways to get there. Whether you want to experience the structure, learn more about how brine is processed, or first plan your journey, the following information will help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

Experience the Graduation Tower

The graduation tower complex extends for more than 636 metres. You can use its walkways free of charge. Walk alongside the structure and experience the salt-laden mist. Guided tours may also include climbing the structure. This gives you two ways to explore the graduation tower: walking alongside it or joining a guided tour that may include a climb. If you plan to include this part of the town in your itinerary, consider whether walking beside the structure is enough for you or whether you would like to take a guided tour.

Salt History at the Borlach Museum

The Borlach Museum is dedicated to salt production in Bad Dürrenberg, the processing of local brine into table salt, and the town’s development as a spa destination. Exhibits include waterworks models, an illustration of the process from brine to salt, and historical salt-making tools. This brings the production process and the development of the spa destination together: you can learn both about the steps involved in turning the raw material into table salt and about the town’s history as a spa destination. Guided visits may also include the Witzleben Tower and the shaft. Access to the museum depends on the city’s current visitor arrangements; check them before your visit.

Getting to Bad Dürrenberg

You can reach Bad Dürrenberg by car, train, bicycle, or via the Saale River. If travelling by car, you can take an exit from the A9. The town is on the Leipzig–Weißenfels railway line, and bus services run to Leipzig, Weißenfels, and Merseburg. From Halle, you can travel by tram to the Kurpark stop. These transport options give you different starting points for planning your trip, without requiring you to settle on just one way of getting there. Check connections and road conditions before setting out. This will help you adapt your plans to your chosen mode of transport before adding a visit to the graduation tower or museum to your itinerary.

Culture in the Wider Saalekreis Destination

The wider Saalekreis destination offers other historical and cultural attractions. Querfurt Castle is one of Europe’s best-preserved castle complexes and the largest castle complex in Central Germany. In Bad Lauchstädt, the Douche Pavilion opened in 1778 and was restored in 2016. It is now a museum about the history of the mineral spa and is open to visitors. Bad Lauchstädt is also home to the historic Goethe Theatre, which has largely been preserved in its original 1802 state.

Wettin Castle stretches for about 500 metres along a porphyry ridge running beside the Saale. The complex is divided into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Castles. The grounds are open to visitors free of charge, and guided tours of the castle complex are available. The Petersberg Museum has an exhibition on the history of the historic Saalkreis district. These regional examples complement the themes of salt production and spa history with castles, theatre history, and an exhibition on the history of the Saalkreis district.

Discover more destinations: Spergau, Salzmünde, Leuna, Ostrau, Etzdorf, Bad Lauchstädt, Kaltenmark, Krosigk.

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