Bad Boll combines spa history with a varied landscape: a Romanesque church building shapes the townscape, while the Teufelsloch-Kaltenwang nature reserve encompasses gorges, streams and ravines. When choosing where to stay, it is worth considering your interests: would you like to focus on historic sites and culture, or also set aside time for nature and trails? Bad Boll offers concrete points of interest for both.
Spa History and Historic Sites
The Protestant Collegiate Church of St. Cyriacus is a Romanesque building dating from the Hohenstaufen era. Its prominent position on a hill shapes the townscape of Bad Boll. The church is open daily until dusk; check visiting hours before your visit. Another trace of the past leads to the Historic Spa House: its history dates back to 1595. That year, Heinrich Schickhardt built the first bathhouse on behalf of Duke Frederick I. The spa house is also home to the sulfur spring dating from 1595, one of the oldest surviving records of Bad Boll’s healing tradition.
The spa park, laid out in 1823, includes a historic promenade hall and is open to all visitors. Concerts are held there on Sundays from May to September. If your stay falls on a Sunday during these months, check the current schedule. Above the spa house stands the small “Tempele” viewing pavilion. Built in 1824 as a belvedere, it is a popular destination for walks. Blumhardt’s literary salon in Villa Vopelius adds another cultural highlight: portraits, autographs and books belonging to notable figures such as Eduard Mörike, Ottilie Wildermuth, Hermann Hesse and Karl Barth are on display. Admission is free, and the salon is open daily.
Landscape, Forest and Trails
The Teufelsloch-Kaltenwang nature reserve covers 122 hectares and stretches from the orchards near Eckwälden to the French Bridge. The area includes deeply incised gorges, streams and ravines, as well as the 18-hectare Teufelsloch forest reserve. At the “Breiter Stein” waterfall bench, the water plunges around 50 meters. This landscape therefore offers both a large protected area and striking individual natural features.
Other nature destinations offer different highlights. Boller Heide is a natural place to spend time outdoors, with a shelter and barbecue area; it is suitable for relaxing, picnicking and grilling. Children can discover nature on the surrounding trails. The Badwäldle nature trail in Bad Boll Forest has eleven information boards about the forest as a habitat, protective forest, economic resource and place for timber harvesting. This offers a choice between spending time outdoors and exploring the forest as a subject.
Choose Routes to Suit Your Interests
The Berta-Hörnle-Tour starts at the Pappelweg hiking parking area in Bad Boll, shares a section with the Sinneswandel trail, passing experience stations along the way, and leads to the Albtraufgänger quality hiking trail. The route is about 14.5 kilometers long. The Löwentrail “Teufelsloch Loop” offers a different experience: it is a mountain biking route around Bad Boll and Gruibingen, with views over the foothills of the Swabian Alb. The two options therefore differ both in their stated mode of travel and in the route features described. When choosing, consider whether you prefer a tour with experience stations or a mountain biking route with scenic views.
Hotels and Stays in Bad Boll
Consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay, and compare hotels in Bad Boll according to your accommodation preferences.
Discover more destinations: Süßen, Dürnau, Hattenhofen, Adelberg, Eislingen/Fils, Böhmenkirch, Göppingen, Wangen.
Go to the main travel overview: Göppingen.
