Bad Ragaz, Balzers Travel Guide

Bad Ragaz, located in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley at the foot of the Pizol, has a long and rich history as a health spa. The town's fame stems from its thermal springs, discovered in the nearby Tamina Gorge in the 13th century. According to tradition, hunters from the Pfäfers Abbey found a warm spring (36.5°C) in 1242, and the Benedictine monks recognized the water's healing properties.Pilgrims journeyed to the Abbey of Pfäfers to bathe in the thermal waters from the mid-13th century. In 1535, doctor and philosopher Paracelsus testified to the thermal springs' healing powers, marking the beginning of spa tourism. In 1716, Switzerland's earliest baroque bathhouse was built below the Benedictine Monastery in Pfäfers.In 1840, the thermal water was piped to Ragaz, making it a renowned health resort. The construction of the road through Taminatobel to Bad Pfäfers (1839) and the connection to the St. Gallen-Chur railway line (1858) further boosted its development. Architect Bernhard Simon acquired the former Pfäfers monastery domain in 1868, founding the Ragaz-Pfäfers spa and building new spa facilities, including the Grand Hotel Quellenhof.Today, Bad Ragaz is a wellness resort with top-class hotels, the Tamina Therme, and golf courses. The Tamina Therme, established in 1872, was the first indoor thermal water pool in Europe. The town offers a broad range of medicinal and wellness packages, attracting visitors worldwide. Besides the thermal baths, Bad Ragaz offers hiking trails, the Walensee, and the Churfirsten Mountains.