A thermal spring rises above Weissenburg in the Simmental valley. For 350 years, the Weissenburg mineral spring was used for bathing and healing purposes. When the Dutch Queen Wilhelmine and her daughter stayed there for a cure in 1936 and Princess Juliana became engaged to Prince Bernhard during her stay, this attracted guests from all over the world.
In 1602, the Bern Council ordered the thermal spring to be tapped and had the Hintere Weissenburgbad baths and bathhouse built. In 1849, the front bath and spa house - Grand Hotel Weissenburgbad - was opened to cater for the rush of people seeking treatment. The Weissenburgbad became a meeting place for the high nobility and was known throughout Europe. The First World War put a temporary end to the flourishing spa business. After the war, the bathers were no longer so numerous. The Hintere Bad was demolished in 1925. After the Second World War, the Grand Hotel Weissenburgbad also lost its importance. It was finally closed in the 1960s. Renovation of the ruins of the Hinteres Bad and chapel in 2014 & 2015 Over the last 100 years or so, overgrowth and vandalism have taken their toll on the ruins, causing the building structures to almost completely disappear. Restoration work was carried out under the overall management of the Bad und Thermalquelle Weissenburg Association, a renovation concept and the scientific direction of the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern. Now that the restoration work has been completed, the layout of the buildings can once again be clearly seen on the site. Together with the preserved historical views and pictures, they give an idea of the bath and hotel buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A visit to Weissenburg Bad is very exciting for anyone interested in history, tourism, architecture and archaeology. Weissenburg mineral water Around 1930, the young engineer Hans Widmer had the idea of bottling the water from the thermal spring as a drink. He founded Weissenburg-Mineralthermen AG in 1935 and started production in a cellar room of the Kurhaus with a few employees and simple equipment. It was a difficult start, not least because of the fierce competition. For the first time in Switzerland, lemon and orange-flavored mineral water was launched on the market - with success. When the Dutch queen had mineral water from Weissenburg delivered to her because her doctor had advised her to take a drinking cure, this was an effective advertising effect. In 1985, Weissenburg-Mineralthermen AG and the Feldschlösschen brewery merged. However, various factors, such as the need for enormous investments to maintain the quality of the mineral water, led to the closure of the company. However, you can still drink Weissenburg thermal water today. The curative Weissenburg water flows out of the Brünneli at the Weissenburg train stop. Fill the bottles you have brought with the water and enjoy it at home.
