DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Freistaat Bayern	Bavaria
Regierungsbezirk: Oberfranken
Landkreis: Bayreuth

map →

Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge (official name Bad Berneck i. Fichtelgebirge) is situated at an elevation of 480 m in the picturesque valley of the Ölschnitz stream in the Fichtelgebirge mountain region. The municipality has a population of about 4,500 (2011).

Berneck was first mentioned in 1177. Since the end of the 19th century, Berneck has a tradition as a climatic spa. Whey and herb cures were introduced in 1857, cold water cures were added to the therapeutic procedures in 1930. The predicate 'Bad' was awarded in 1950 as official recognition as a spa town.

The ruins of the Altes Schloss (Old Castle) [near left, no. 3572: background] are located on the Schlossberg ("castle hill") above Bad Berneck. A first noble seat of a free aristocratic line that was mentioned in 1168 was located above this site somewhat higher on the hill, the site of the later Hohenberneck castle. The site of the first castle proved to be unlucky as it was founded illegally on land in possession of the monastery of St. James of Bamberg so that the castle had to be taken as a fief from the Bamberg bishops. Some time between 1203 and 1248 it came in possession of the dukes of Andechs-Merania. The possessions were inherited in 1260 by the counts of Orlamünde. In 1338/1341 it became part of the possessions of the burgraves of Nuremberg. In 1503 the seat was transfered to the new castle of Neuwallenrode, later called Hohenberneck. Only parts of the former, relatively small castle, are still intact, The castle keep, today the landmark of Bad Berneck, was heightened in 1818. Parts of the ruins of the castle collapsed in 2011.

The Protestant church of the Holy Trinity [near left, no. 3572: foreground left] was built in 1796–1800. The west tower dates from a previous church of 1518.

The new colonade [right, no. 4044: bottom right inset picture] in the spa park was built in 1899 by the architect Adam Egerer.

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Berneck_im_Fichtelgebirge, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Berneck_im_Fichtelgebirge; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgruine_Berneck_(Bayern), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altes_Schloss_(Bad_Berneck); https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Baudenkmäler_in_Bad_Berneck_im_Fichtelgebirge]