There is much to explore in and around Göttingen and after a short train ride we visited the towns of Bad Sooden and Allendorf in Hesse. The towns are in view of each other but are distinct separated by the Werra River and until recently administratively.

The story of Bad Sooden and Allendorf is typical of Central Europe.

Bad Sooden was a major supplier of salt and was the major industry until in the 1800´s when the Prussians annexed the area and took control of the salt production and made it fit the Prussian economy. This was the beginning of the end for the salt mining and later Sooden reinvented itself as a spa town offering people the benefits to health of salt baths etc. Dominating Bad Sooden is the Gradierwerk a huge wooden structure that rains saltwater droplets down on walkways creating an almost seaside atmosphere. The aim is to mimic the Baltic coast and it is said that 45 minutes in the salt grotto is worth three days of breathing good sea air.

Whilst Sooden was left untouched by the Thirty Years War Allendorf was burned to the ground by Croatian forces of the Catholic Roman Empire when it no could no longer pay protection money and later a town wide fire broke out during an outbreak of plague adding to the misery. Making it almost unique the wooden buildings in Allendorf are notable for a mix of different styles because carpenters and builders were drawn from many regions during the reconstruction of the town, there are touches of Thuringia, Hesse, and Lower Saxony architecture to be found.

As we sat in a café, we noted the large numbers of cyclists stopping to rest and eat etc., the Werra Radweg has become a major artery bringing a different type of tourist to the seekers of health cures.

Bad Sooden Allendorf – https://www.bad-sooden-allendorf.de/gaesteservice

Note: Added second visit content below.

Out of Time – Gradierwerk

A week later I revisited Bad Sooden – Allendorf.

The Gradierwerk at Bad Sooden – Allendorf is a reminder of the old world when timber dominated the built environment.

When you look up at the huge wooden structure which rains saltwater droplets down on walkways you could be taken back in time to the 1600´s when the structure was first built. Even where stone was used to build you can see the expertise of monumental wood building in the rafters of the oldest churches, and especially mills, etc.

The Gradierwerk was created to offer salt therapy in a time when antibiotics and other therapies were not available for lung disease and conditions such as arthritis, and these treatments remain popular. In fact, that´s why I made a second visit to give my sinuses a little help.

There are Gradierwerks to be found across central Europe and for me the one at Bad Sooden-Allendorf had me thinking it´s out of time.

Gradierwerk: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gradierwerk