Bad Wilsnack combines the pilgrimage history of St. Nikolai’s Miracle Blood Church with the thermal facilities of the Kristall Kur- und Gradier-Therme. The town also has green spaces and is located in the Elbe-Brandenburg River Landscape Biosphere Reserve.
The Miracle Blood Church: pilgrimage, history and music
The history of the Miracle Blood Church begins with an event in 1384: after three supposedly miraculous hosts were found, construction began on the church as a pilgrimage site. Today, it houses the shrine of the Miracle Blood. Its medieval stained-glass windows are considered the most important collection of their kind in Brandenburg. The church is recognized as a monument of national importance and is considered a landmark of Bad Wilsnack.
Individuals and groups can book guided tours of the church and tower visits. Groups can also book a short organ concert or a devotional service. Audio guides are available in German and English, as well as a version for children. Regular concerts offer another way to get to know the church, beyond its history and architecture.
Thermal brine and graduation tower
The Kristall Kur- und Gradier-Therme Bad Wilsnack uses thermal brine at a temperature of 34 to 36 degrees Celsius. The brine contains iron and iodine and comes from the facility’s own spring, 1,018 metres below ground. The thermal baths have three indoor saunas and five outdoor saunas, including the Mega-Sauna Dom.
The graduation tower at the thermal baths is 50 metres long and 7.5 metres high; it is open to the public free of charge. Together with the brine and sauna facilities, it offers a clear contrast to the historic church. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to focus on culture, thermal facilities or both.
Parks, biosphere and storks
Bad Wilsnack is located in the Elbe-Brandenburg River Landscape Biosphere Reserve. The town’s green spaces include Schlosspark, Stadtpark and the new Kurpark. Extensive pine forests also form a horseshoe-shaped frame around the town. These landscape features add a distinct nature-focused perspective to the cultural and thermal attractions.
A few kilometres south of Bad Wilsnack lies Rühstädt, the European Stork Village. It is home to around 40 breeding pairs each year. This offers a chance to look beyond the town’s sights and explore a specific nature theme in the surrounding area.
Getting here and finding your way around
There are bicycle and car parking spaces at Bad Wilsnack station. The tourist information office sells public transport tickets for Brandenburg and Berlin. It also offers a guided tour of Bad Wilsnack and tips for trips in the region. This gives you local resources for planning your journey, exploring the town and choosing other destinations to visit.
More things to do in the Prignitz
The Prignitz region has 17 recommended cycling tours that showcase local attractions and distinctive features of the region. On the Elbe in the Prignitz, tours that include wildlife watching in the biosphere reserve are also available for experienced paddlers. The activities vary in format, from recommended cycling routes to paddling tours that require experience.
Discover more destinations: Perleberg, Lanz, Meyenburg, GroĂź Pankow, Gumtow, Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf, Lenzerwische, Gerdshagen.
View the overview of destinations: Prignitz.
