Timber-framed house in Brückenstraße

Bad Bevensen is a spa town in Lower Saxony on the Lüneburg Heath.

Understand

Bad Bevensen lies in a gently-rolling landscape on the North German Plain. The region is characterized by potato, sugar beet and grain farming, by forests, small heaths, the valley of the Ilmenau and the Elbe Lateral Canal.

The River Ilmenau flows through the town and the Elbe Lateral Canal runs past it to the east.

The town was first mentioned in the records in 1162, but was not given town rights until 1929. It has been officially recognised by the state as a mineral health spa since 1976. There are up to 6 large rehabilitation clinics around Bad Bevensen and many of the town's facilities and businesses are geared up to catering for rehabilitation patients. This tends to give the town a slow, relaxing pace of life.

Get in

Road: Bad Bevensen is 85 km southeast of Hamburg on the B4 federal road. It is between the towns of Uelzen and Lüneburg which can be accessed from the A7 autobahn. Air: The nearest airports are at Hanover and Hamburg. Rail: There are hourly connections from the Bad Bevensen station both north to Hamburg and south, via Uelzen to Hanover.

Get around

Once in Bad Bevensen most facilities and hotels are accessible by foot. However for the less able, a good taxi service is available. Most of the main hotels are east of the River Ilmenau and restaurants to the west.

See

• Medingen Abbey (Kloster Medingen), ☏ +49 5821 2286. There a guided tours from Easter Sa to 15 Oct at the following times: Tu-Sa 10:00 and 14:00-17:00. Sundays at 11:00 and 14:00-17:00. Not open on Mondays and 23-24 Aug (Thanksgiving and Consecration Festival). 
• Schliekau Museum (Museum Schliekau), Kurze Str 4, ☏ +49 5821 1384. M (except Jan) 16:00. One of the biggest private collections in Germany with pre- and early historical exhibits of the region as well as furniture and musical instruments. 
• Wollstein Local History Museum (Wollsteiner Heimatstuben), Gollerner Weg 54, ☏ +49 5821 7666. Apr-Oct Tu 10:00-12:00. Household artefacts, documents, papers, pictures and personal valuables of the refugees from the former district of Wollstein in Poland (today Wielkopolska). 
• "From the Forest" (Naturkundliche Ausstellung "Aus dem Walde"), daily 10:00-16:30, natural history exhibition behind the hotel "Vier Linden" in Medingen
• Niendorf Local History and Tractor Museum (Heimat- und Treckermuseum Niendorf), ☏ +49 5807 248. Daily, 08:00-18:00. 

Do

• Kloster Medingen St, Mauritius Klosterweg 1 (0.7 miles from town centre), ☏ +49 5821 2286. The 17th century monastic farm estate known as Klosterhof Medingen (Medingen Monastery Estate) where, 50 years ago, a Trakehner stud was established. 
• Golf Resort Adendorf, Moorchaussee 3, Adendorf (15.5 miles from town centre), ☏ +49 413122332660. Golf Course 
• Jod Sole Therme, Dahlenburger Str. 1 (0.7 miles from town centre). This modern spa focuses on the needs of people who wish to do something for their health and to keep fit in a quiet landscape with beautiful forests. 
• Museumsdorf Hosseringen, Landtagsplatz 2, Suderburg (17.9 miles from town centre). A museum demonstrating a blast from the past with agriculture / farming done the old fashioned way. 

Buy

The spa town is in the middle of the Lüneburg Heath and as such most of the souvenirs are heath related (prints and local arts and crafts).

Eat

• Anno 1825, Peschke Kirchenstr. 6 (1km from town centre), ☏ +49 5821 2455. 
• Eiscafe Fontanella, Lüneburger Straße 26 (0.5km from town centre), ☏ +49 58211474. 
• Feuerstein, Bei der Kirche 1 (1km from town centre), ☏ +49 5821 7236. 
• Imbiss Rathausstraßse, Rathausstraße 1 (0.6km from town centre), ☏ +49 58212804. 

Drink

• Bar-Celona, Bahnhofstraße 11, ☏ +49 151 19 66 30 78. 

Most of the hotels and restaurants have bar facilities.

Sleep

• Hotel Fahrhaus, Alter Mühlenweg 1, ☏ +49 5821 500-0. Escape to a warm family run hotel in the Heide. €52+. 
• Hotel Ilmenautal, Am Klaubusch 11, Bad Bevensen. A family run hotel next to the Kurparc. €45+. 
• Hotel Kieferneck, Lerchenweg 1, ☏ +49 5821 560. A quality hotel with facilities that range from a spa to access to a number of nearby golf courses. €51+. 

Go next

• Bergen, 55km SW of Bad Bevensen
• Brome, 60km SE
• Celle, 55km SW
• Dedelstorf, 45km S
• Ehestorf, 60km NW
• Gifhorn, 37km S
• Glinde, Schleswig-Holstein. 55km NW
• Hamburg, Germany. 55km NW
• Hankensbuettel, 38km S
• Hanstedt, 38km NW
• Leiferde, Lower Saxony. 63km S
• Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. 45km east
• Muden, 64km S
• Seevetal, 51km NW