Bad Schwalbacher Kurbahn

About the museum

The railway was built in 1926 as a field railway with a 600-millimeter gauge. It carried medicinal peat from the peat pits in the Gerstruthtal valley to the spa administration's Moorbadehaus (peat bath house), where it was used for peat baths; before that, horse-drawn wagons had done the job. In 1963 the line was partly realigned and fitted with heavier rails, and in 1985 a brand-new Schöma diesel locomotive was added, which is still in service today.

Peat transport by rail ended in 1991, and from then on the material was moved by truck. After several attempts starting in 1992, the Bad Schwalbacher Kurbahn-Verein was founded in 1998 to preserve the line and prepare it for passenger service. Trial operations with newly built passenger cars began at the end of September 2000; the redesigned stations opened in May 2005 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Moorbadehaus.

Today the roughly 1.6-kilometer line from the Moorbadehaus via Golfhaus, Schwalbenbrunnen and Waldsee to the peat pits (Moorgruben) is operated exclusively by club members. Along the way the train climbs a noticeable difference in elevation on steep gradients. The rolling stock includes three diesel locomotives – among them a 1938 Jung locomotive of the kind that once ran on the peat railway – as well as open and enclosed passenger cars and historic tipper wagons from the peat operation. At the terminus, the “Begehbare Moor” (walk-through bog) invites visitors on a tour along wooden boardwalks.

Highlights

• Ride on the 600 mm field railway through the spa park (approx. 1.6 km)
• 1938 Arnold Jung diesel locomotive and Schöma locomotive from the peat-hauling days
• Walk-through bog with wooden boardwalks at the Moorgruben terminus
• Stations at Golfhaus, Schwalbenbrunnen and Waldsee
• Advent rides “Mit der Kurbahn in den Advent”

Operated by

Bad Schwalbacher Kurbahn-Verein e.V.

Admission & discounts

All prices are for a round trip.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Playground / play area

Family ticket for two adults and up to three children; children under 4 ride free without their own seat. At the Golfhaus station there is a playground and a mini golf course; at the Waldsee station a barefoot path with a bog pool ends.

Getting there & parking

Departure from the Moorbadehaus station at the end of Parkstraße (GPS: "Parkstraße, Bad Schwalbach"); signposted with "BSK" in the city.

Amenities & dining

• Café

In good weather, the "Kurbahn Café" serves passengers coffee, cake and drinks; at the Golfhaus station there is a forest inn with a café.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 40 guests.

Entire trains can be rented for birthdays, weddings, company outings or family celebrations (approx. 35–40 adults per train). No catering by the club; beer-tent tables and benches can be set up at the terminus on request.

Plan your visit