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Hiking, golf and spas are beloved activities worldwide and also in Bavaria, Germany. However, finding the right place for this in the jungle of information can be a challenge. Luckily, we have a great suggestion for you. Bad Griesbach is the perfect place to visit if you want hiking, golf, and spa in Bavaria. Here you can combine all three activities or choose one or two of them to focus on. The choice is yours.
Germany is one of the most visited countries in Europe, and Bavaria is as popular as ever. The number of visitors is increasing, and many come back year after year. Most visitors seem to follow the same route, visiting the best-known attractions and towns. What we want to do, is to encourage you to look a bit further, and seek out some of the lesser-known places to visit in Germany and Bavaria, and for that Bad Griesbach is a great option.
Bad Griesbach might not be the obvious place to visit in Bavaria, as it lacks the big tourist attractions that many other destinations offer. However, if you would like to do some golf and spa in Bavaria, or go for some easy hiking, this is a world-class golf resort in the middle of nature with healthy thermal water in the ground. Here you can expect friendly people, lots of opportunities for the outdoors, local food, relaxation and of course one of the best places for golfing in Germany.
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Bad Griesbach – known for golf and spa in Bavaria
Bad Griesbach, or Bad Griesbach im Rottal, is a small town and municipality in the district of Passau in eastern Bavaria, Germany. With a population of just above 9000 inhabitants, it’s not the busiest place, but it is well known in Germany for its healthy thermal baths and as Europe’s largest golf resort.
In German, Bad Griesbach is called Kurort Bad Griesbach, which translates to spa town. So again, if you are looking for golf and spa in Bavaria, this is a place to look out for. The town itself is cute enough, but compared to other towns in Bavaria, you might not find it all too interesting, which is fine, as the main attractions here are the thermal baths and some of the best golf courses in Germany. The popularity of Bad Griesbach is increasing every year, and in 2024 the hope is to again pass one million overnight stays.
TIP: Visiting Munich as well? Our post on Schleissheim Palace tells you what you need before visiting one of Bavaria’s most impressive palaces
Best things to do in Bad Griesbach
Most people visit Bad Griesbach to play golf, spend some relaxing time doing much-needed self-care in one of the wellness resorts or be out in nature. The hiking possibilities are great, and should you prefer biking instead, there are good options for biking along one of the many trails as well. You can bring your own bicycle or rent one. E-bikes are also available for rent. Check at your accommodation if you’d like to rent a bicycle. All in all, Bad Griesbach is a great place for both some active and relaxing days, and it’s absolutely a perfect place for both golf and spa in Bavaria.
TIP: Read our post on biking in Saxony Anhalt should you want to explore more of Germany by bicycle. Here you can bike along the River Elbe while exploring cute historical towns along the way.
Hiking in Bad Griesbach
Getting out in nature is easy in Bad Griesbach. The region likes to call itself the “Tuscany of Lower Bavaria” due to the hilly landscapes in the Rottal, or Rott Valley (valley of the river Rott) area. With several marked walking routes, it is really a great place for hiking, and the routes take you via the hilly landscape, through forests, fields, and meadows scattered with fruit trees. The area is beautiful, so you will have a great experience no matter your route. You can pick up free hiking maps at the tourist information located in Kurallee 8.
Even though the landscape is hilly, it’s never steep. You are not in the mountains here, and everyone can hike here. Most of the hiking routes are classified as easy to moderate. Bad Griesbach focused a lot on the so-called Nordic Walking, and the Nordic Walking Center Bad Griesbach opened in 2004.
FACT: Nordic Walking is a Finnish-origin total-body version of walking that can be done both by non-athletes as a health-promoting physical activity and by athletes as a sport. The activity is performed with specially designed walking poles similar to ski poles.
If you’d like to walk in a group with others, the Rottaler Wanderwochen (Rott Valley Hiking weeks) takes place from the end of April to the beginning of May and in October. Here you can participate in guided hikes in the area and neighboring towns. Rottaler Volksmarathon (Rott Valley marathon for the people) offers a wide range of distances, also for hikers, so here you don’t need to run. This popular event takes place yearly at the beginning of May and is a sports event for everyone.
If you want just a short walk between golfing and thermal treatments, the Kurpark (Spa Park) is near many of the hotels and offers shorter and medium-long routes, all with a great view over the area. So even if you came here for golf and spa in Bavaria, there are great possibilities for some fresh air in nature as well.
TIP: Also located in Bavaria, the Samerberg region is another hidden hiking paradise in Bavaria
Golf in Bad Griesbach – Europe’s largest golf resort
Hiking, golf, and spa in Bavaria or golf only? Well, if you want to play golf in Germany, this is the place to do so. Being the largest golf resort in Europe, Bad Griesbach offers something for all players and all levels. If you are an experienced player you will find joy in trying some of the well-known German golf courses, and if you are a beginner or want to try golf for the first time there’s also something for you here.
The golf resort has ten golf courses. There are in total six 18-hole courses, like the Beckenbauer Golf Course, Golfplatz Sagmühle, and the Porsche Golf Course. The first 18-hole golf course (Golfplatz Sagmühle) opened in 1988. In addition to this, you can also find smaller 6 -and 9-hole courses. There is also an indoor putting hall which is excellent for the winter, training facilities, and lastly, they also offer a PGA Premium Golf School. Of the large 18-hole courses, the Golfplatz Sagmühle is an independent one, while the five others belong to the same group called Quellness & Golf Resort.
The website for Golfplatz Sagmühle is in German only, but we were told you can click on Kontakt at their website and email them in English, and you will get information in English back. The website of Quellness & Golf Resort is in English.
We had never tried golf before we visited Bad Griesbach, but here we got the chance to do so. We never expected to have so much fun with it, so if you are in doubt if you should try golf or not, just go for it. After all, in Bad Griesbach, you are in the perfect place for both golf and spa in Bavaria.
TIP: Want to combine golf in Germany with a stay at a real castle? Then Castle Hotel Schlosshotel Anholt might be the perfect place for you. We stayed there and felt like being in the middle of a fairytale. They have a golf course next to the castle. It’s located in the far west of Germany, close to the Dutch border.
Wellness in Bad Griesbach – visit a spa in Bavaria
Why is Bad Griesbach so big on wellness and thermal baths, you might wonder? Well, the answer lies in the ground. Deep down in the ground, thermal water sources were found, and in 1972/73 the first drilling happened to bring water up to the surface. Shortly after this, the building of the first public bathhouses began. Since then the area quickly developed into a modern thermal spa resort town, and today Bad Griesbach welcomes guests from all corners of Germany and the number of international guests is increasing.
When you visit Bad Griesbach to spend some time at a Bavarian spa, you have two options on how to do it. You can book a hotel with a thermal bath area on its grounds, or you can visit the public thermal bath. A combination of both might be even better. After spending some time at your hotel, you might want to change scenery and visit the public bathhouse, where you also can visit a real oriental-style hammam.
The Wohlfühl-Therme (feel-good thermal bath) is located in the center of the town and offers a wide range of different activities, such as classic thermal baths, saunas, steaming rooms, a salt cave, different treatments, and the above-mentioned hammam. There’s a bistro and shop at the bathhouse as well. Their website is in English, so check there for further information.
Where to stay in Bad Griesbach
There’s a wide range of places to stay in Bad Griesbach. Accommodation varies from Bavarian spa hotels to camping, holiday apartments, privately rented rooms, and smaller pensions.
If you are looking for a wellness hotel in Bavaria, there are many of them in Bad Griesbach, and most have a spa connected to the hotel. Most of the hotels offer stays with full or half board, so you can really look forward to some relaxing days where even the food is arranged for you.
During our visit to Bad Griesbach, we stayed at Parkhotel Bad Griesbach, a comfortable 4-star superior-wellness hotel with a thermal spa and wellness area of around 3600 square meters (over 38500 square feet). The hotel has nicely decorated rooms, and the superior rooms (as we had) are huge and cozy.
The hotel offers an amazing breakfast buffet in the main dining area, and this is also where you will eat if you have booked half-board for your stay. In addition to the thermal bath, the hotel also offers different spa treatments. This can be a great place to stay for those of you wanting to both golf and spa in Bavaria. Their website is also in English so it’s easy to navigate.
If you are traveling on a budget, a self-catered apartment might be the best option for you, as they offer the opportunity to cook for yourself.
Best time to visit Bad Griesbach
What is the best time to visit Bad Griesbach you might wonder? Well, that depends on what you want to do there. If you want to try some of the golf courses it’s best to come during spring, summer, or autumn. However, if you are looking to spend your time in a spa in Bavaria, you can visit Bad Griesbach year-round. Hiking season typically goes from early spring to late autumn.
Germany has warm summers and comfortable winters. Snow can be expected in the winter, although doesn’t always happen. But, please keep in mind that the weather can change quickly. What we have learned after living in Germany for years, is to always bring an umbrella. So, be smart and learn from us and our mistakes. Bring an umbrella just in case.
How to get to Bad Griesbach
The most convenient way of getting to Bad Griesbach is by car, but it’s also easy by public transport. By car, you will easily get there with a GPS whether you come from the Nuremberg/ Regensburg area, from the Munich area, or from the direction of Austria.
If you prefer to travel by public transport, you can easily get to Bad Griesbach by train and bus. The closest train station is Passau. From Passau train station you can take bus line 6125 about 30 kilometres to Bad Griesbach. If you prefer a taxi instead of the bus, taxis are normally available at the train station.
Please note: This trip was a collaboration by an invitation from Bad Griesbach. We have been sponsored via the collaboration to visit the hotel, the thermal spa, the restaurant, and the golf courses mentioned in this post. As always there are no guidelines or requirements of what we should write. All opinions in this post are our own and are not affected by the sponsorship.
