Bad Schlema: Water World, Mining and Bakehouse

Bad Schlema combines its Water World, mining history, hiking trails and baking traditions. Experiences range from swimming to an underground visit on foot, circular hikes and baked goods from the historic clay oven. For your planning, you can consider each focus separately: water, exercise, mining and regional baking culture appeal to different interests.

Water World and step-free bathing area

The Water World in Bad Schlema has pools containing radon and brine; the water temperature reaches up to 35°C. This makes it a clear highlight for travelers who would like to include swimming in their stay. The bathing area is entirely step-free. At several points, elevators enable people with mobility impairments and wheelchair users to move between floors.

If you are planning a visit, check the Water World’s current operating information in advance. This will help you plan this part of your stay specifically, without treating it as the same kind of experience as the hiking and mining attractions.

Mining history underground and along the circular trail

The educational mine offers an underground experience on foot along a route measuring 1,300 meters in total. Another way to explore is the Mining and Remediation Educational Trail: this circular hiking route, about ten kilometers long, starts and ends at the Kulturhaus Aktivist.

The lengths and types of trails make the difference between the two options clear. In the educational mine, the route goes underground; the educational trail is a circular hike. When planning your time, you can therefore distinguish between an underground visit along a 1,300-meter route and a hike of about ten kilometers.

Trails in the spa park and the wider hiking and cycling network

As of July 15, 2026, large parts of Bad Schlema spa park were closed due to preparations for the 2027 State Garden Show, while a shorter walking route remained accessible. At that time, the 94-kilometer network of hiking trails and terrain therapy routes around Bad Schlema and the Silberberg remained fully accessible. If you are planning to visit the spa park, check the current accessibility of the trails before your visit.

The hiking and cycling options in Aue-Bad Schlema include the Mulde Valley Cycle Route, the Floßgraben, Bärengrund and Schwarzwasser hiking routes, as well as circular hikes and mountain hiking routes on the wooded slopes of the Aue Valley. The selection ranges from a named cycle route to various types of hiking. For planning, it makes sense to consider each tour and the area you want to visit separately.

Bakehouse: bread, cake and baking demonstrations

The bakehouse in Bad Schlema offers visitors fresh bread and cake prepared in a historic clay oven. The demonstration bakery prepares wood-fired bread and sheet cakes; the Backhaus Schlema e.V. association also holds various baking demonstrations.

Both the baked goods and the baking demonstrations are therefore part of the bakehouse’s offering. The events provide another opportunity to learn about local baking traditions; check the specific dates in advance.

Choose accommodation to suit your travel interests

When choosing accommodation, you can first decide what kind of trip you want: should your stay focus more on the Water World, a hike with a mining theme, or regional baking culture? You can then compare the location of your accommodation with the specific places you would like to visit. This way, you can tailor your search to your own plans instead of treating all the experiences as one combined route.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Tannenberg, Heidersdorf, Thalheim/Erzgebirge, Deutschneudorf, Sehmatal, Schönheide, Bernsbach, Stützengrün.

Back to the regional travel overview: Erzgebirgskreis.