Bad Bentheim is a town in Lower Saxony, lying in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim on the borders with North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands roughly 15 km south of Nordhorn and 20 km northeast of Enschede. It is also a state-recognized thermal brine and sulphur spa town, hence the designation Bad (“Bath”). In Bad Bentheim is also found the castle Burg Bentheim, the town’s emblem.
Bad Bentheim has small and medium-sized businesses for tourism typical of smaller spa towns: cafés, hotels and guesthouses. The constituent community of Gildehaus has developed itself into a centre for the German-Dutch ambulance trade.
The Franzosenschlucht (“Frenchman’s Gorge”) is found right next to the open-air theatre, the so-called Bentheimer Freilichtbühne (open-air stage). The Bad Bentheim open-air plays have an unusual venue set in three disused quarries, thereby offering an extraordinary natural backdrop. In summer plays are staged here. Often special events are held here such as nighttime performances.
A popular meeting place in town for walking is the so-called Schlosspark beneath the castle. This is a geometrical 12-ha parkland laid out going by old records in the style of princely gardens of the 18th century. In a big lake at the park’s north end are found ducks that are often fed by visitors. Other animals, too, such as wild rabbits, may be spotted from time to time in the park’s bushes.
In summer a water fountain runs in the Schlosspark, which, shoots up into the air from a flat, sandstone basin. In winter, the water is pumped out and the fountain does not run. This fountain is surrounded by symmetrically laid-out rosebeds, themselves enclosed by hedges. In winter, the towsfolk, especially the younger ones, come to the park to run their sleds down the steep slopes in the south part of the park, right beneath the castle. In late summer (on the last Saturday in August), the Bad Bentheim flea market is held. Even by early morning, traders and private dealers are on their way to market so that they can be sure of getting a good place.
