Bad Segeberg

Bad Segeberg is in Schleswig Holstein.

Understand

Bad Segeberg is mostly known for the Karl May (the last name is pronounced "my") festival held here annually. Karl May (1842-1912) was a German author of westerns and books set in the Middle East, though he had for most of his live never been to either the US or the Middle East. His books enjoy ongoing popularity even a century after his death and a couple of hugely successful films based on them were made in the 1960s. The Karl May festival of Bad Segeberg is held every year since 1952. Ironically May's connection to Bad Segeberg is also rather weak as he was born in Saxony and spent most of his life there, ultimately dying in Radebeul, which is about as far away from Bad Segeberg as you can get without leaving Germany.

Get in

By train

• 1 Bahnhof Bad Segeberg. The line Bad Oldesloe-Neumünster runs through town with a stop in Bad Segeberg. 

By car

A 21 or B 206

See

• 1 Segeberger Kalkberg. The backdrop for the festival and one of the main "sights" is a roughly 100 m high mountain not made of chalk (Kalk) but of Gypsum and Anhydrite (calcium sulphate). Inside this mountain there is a cave that is a popular wintering place for bats and can be visited seasonally.  
• 2 Alt-Segeberger Bürgerhaus. Oldest house in town dating to 1541 (updated Apr 2018)

Do

The main draw of this place and in fact its main claim to fame are the Karl May Festspiele. Besides that there is not all that much to do, although the "Bad" in the name of the town means that it is a recognized spa.

Sleep

• 1 Central Gasthof, Kirchstraße 32, ☏ +49 4551 95700. (updated Feb 2016)
• 2 Hotel Residence, Krankenhausstraße 4, ☏ +49 4551 9650. (updated Feb 2016)