| Type: | Stadt |
| Image Coa: | Das große Wappen von Bad Brückenau.svg |
| Coordinates: | 50.3094°N 9.7906°W |
| Image Plan: | Bad Brückenau in KG.svg |
| State: | Bayern |
| Region: | Unterfranken |
| District: | Bad Kissingen |
| Elevation: | 332 |
| Area: | 23.73 |
| Postal Code: | 97769 |
| Area Code: | 09741 |
| Licence: | KG, BRK, HAB |
| Gemeindeschlüssel: | 09 6 72 113 |
| Divisions: | 5 parts of the city |
| Website: | www.bad-brueckenau.de |
| Mayor: | Jan-Malte Marberg[1] |
| Leader Term: | 2024 - 30 |
| Party: | SPD |
Bad Brückenau (pronounced as /de/) is a spa town in Bad Kissingen district in northwestern Bavaria in the Rhön Mountains.
Bad Brückenau is in the tree-lined Sinn valley, in the western Rhön Mountains - this river being a tributary of the Main. It consists of five subdivisions: the central town and four suburbs: Staatsbad Brückenau, Wernarz, Volkers and Römershag.
The early history of the town is sparsely documented. The first buildings were probably erected close to a ford across the Sinn, which was in use by the time of Charlemagne. By the 12th century the settlement had reached the size of a small town and was called Sinn-Au. Earliest mention of the town is made in a document dating back to 1249, when Fulda Abbey granted Sinn-Au certain privileges. In 1260 the Bishop had four castles built around the town, which he granted to various vassals in the area. Around that time, he also fortified the town with a simple town wall.
In 1310 Sinn-Au was granted the rights of a city by King (later Emperor) Heinrich VII. With that, Brückenau gained the rights to maintain its walls, hold markets, have its own council, cut tree in the forests, raise taxes on wine and so on. In 1337, the council made use of its new rights and enlarged the walls and fortified the gates. In 1597 the town received its present name Brückenau, when a bridge (German: Brücke) was built over the Sinn. In August 1876, the town was almost completely destroyed by fire.
In the 15th century mention is made of a sour-tasting well four kilometers down the valley in south westerly direction. Even then, the water was known for its curative properties, and in 1747 Bishop Amandus von Buseck of Fulda built a fountain. Under his successor Heinrich von Bibra, the first hotels were built and two more wells discovered. The Baroque ensemble along the main axis of the Kurpark dates back to these days.
In 1816, following the Napoleonic Wars, Brückenau became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Brückenau became the favorite spa of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, who financed an encompassing renovation. The central building dating back to this era is the Große Kursaal. After the German Revolution of 1848 and the abdication of Ludwig I, the Bavarian government leased the spa to private entrepreneurs. Today, most of the hotels are leased by Dorint.
In the first decade of the 20th century, the town, rebuilt after the fire, began to imitate the success of the spa. Three wells were discovered, the town and a group of citizens created two parks. In the administrative reform of 1970, the Staatsbad became part of the town and all of Brückenau was granted the official title "Bad".
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany.
Bad Brückenau is twinned with: