The Way of Reflection (Weg Der Besinnung) in Bad Kissingen.

Bad Kissingen is a small German town that’s only 20 minutes down the train tracks from our own.  The Bad in the mean means ‘bath’ and it indicates that the town has natural hot spring (sorry, there’s no ‘Good Kissingen’ anywhere).  Bad Kissingen has been known as a spa town for an impressive 500 years and (I’ve been told) it’s a magnet for seniors who like to wear matching pant suits.

We had lovely spring afternoon to spare while my Meena in-laws were visiting so I started researching things to do nearby and found the Weg Der Besinnung – which means The Way of Reflection or Path of Contemplation – in Bad Kissingen.  It’s the perfect way to spend a few invigorating hours in the city.  The path has 12 different artifacts with associated text passages and Bible verses that inspire you to think about yourself, your life, and your relationship with God.  The idea behind this reflective walk is that it will increase your spiritual and mental wellness in the same way that the spas in the area want to boost your physical wellness.  Whatever your reason for walking the path, it’s a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the beautiful countryside of Bad Kissingen.

While the sculpture path itself is only 2 km long, we walked 2.5 km from the main train station to the path and then another 3.5 km afterwards to complete our meandering circuit back to the station.  So this walk is totally doable via train if you are able to walk up to 8 km (almost 5 miles) and can go up and down some steep inclines.  Otherwise you might want to drive a car to the (one-way) path, although that means you’ll have to walk it twice to get back to where you’ve parked.  You’ll want to start at the correct end of the path, which begins just past the Heiligenhof at Alte Euerdorfer Str. 1 (look for the ‘Promenadenweg’ on your maps).  There’s a guide and map on the Bad Kissingen city website here – but be warned it’s all in German.

As we walked up the (quite hilly) street to the path we passed many of the beautiful yellow rapeseed fields that adorn the region in spring.

I love them.

The first artifact along the Way of Reflection is the Spiegelbilder, which means ‘mirror images’.  There are two large mirrors on opposite sides of the path that create an infinity-like image with you in the center.

The sign for this artifact prompts you to ask, ‘who am I, and who do I want to be?’  Part of Psalm 8:4 was also quoted with the mirrors, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them…?”

I want to mention that all of the text along the path is in German (of course); therefore, a non-German speaker probably won’t find the path very reflective without being able to read and understand the text.  It didn’t bother me that much, and the countryside lovely enough to make the walk worth it anyway, but it’s certainly not the full experience that the artist intended.  Also keep in mind that my translations here are just approximations.

The second stop was Sicher (certainty, safety).  This sculpture introduced a metallic sphere that was used often throughout the different artifacts.  It was balanced on a metal beam that stretched across a small depression.

It’s meant to make one wonder which way they should go, and if they know what they want to do.  The bible verse was Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God…”

Next up was Kern (core, essence), which showed another sphere inside the cracks of a large rock.

This artifact asks questions about what is important to you and quotes Matthew 13:45-46, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

The fourth artifact was called Balance, which was refreshingly easy to understand and interpret.

The words for this one were about finding peace and included Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The fifth artifact, Ausblick (outlook, view), was my favorite.  I enjoyed the sweeping view of Bad Kissingen’s landscape behind it.

The associated text was about having the right perspective and trying to see the world through that perspective.  It also had John 11:25, “The one who believes in me will live…”

Up next was Narben (scar), which showed four metal spheres each damaged in different ways.

The lesson here was that life will give you scars but the scars mean that you have lived, and that your wounds will hopefully be healed with time.

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved…”  Jeremiah 17:14

Artifact seven was called Wie weit noch, which may mean ‘How far still’.  It consisted of several metal rods of diminishing height, with the last and smallest one topped with another metal sphere.

The bible verse for this artifact led me on a somewhat confusing but educational journey (that ended in me asking the German reddit community for help, which they graciously provided). The sign listed Sirach 18:9-10, but I couldn’t figure out which book of the bible that translated to.  At first I thought it meant Ecclesiastes (which was clearly wrong because that book only has 12 chapters), but it turns out that that the English name for Sirach is actually Ecclesiasticus.  This book is also known as the ‘Book of the All-Virtuous Wisdom of Joshua ben Sira’ or, more simply, the ‘Wisdom of Sirach’.  It belongs in to the Apocrypha, a collection of books that is sometimes included between the old and new testaments – usually in Catholic bibles.  Anyway, here’s what was being quoted: “What is a human being, what purpose does he serve? What is good and what is bad for him?  The length of his life: a hundred years at most.  Like a drop of water from the sea, or a grain of sand, such are these few years compared with eternity.”

The eight artifact was titled ‘Du!’ (you).  It showed a metal ball above a bundle of sticks, with a golden pointer that was suspended from high up in the tree branches.

The text for this one didn’t really translate into anything that made sense to me, but it had something to do with finding yourself wherever you are.  Perhaps that is why the sticks were going out in all different directions.  Whatever it means, it was the strangest artifact of the 12, in my opinion.  The verse was Proverbs 8:35, “For those who find me find life…”

The next stop was Mauern (stonewall).  It consisted of a wall with an arched metal rod going over the top.

The text talks about dealing with anger over an obstacle and then overcoming it.  Psalm 18:29 was shared, “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”

Shortly after there was another break in the foliage along the path where you can stop and look out at Bad Kissingen.

I saw the tenth artifact, Geborgen (secure), from some distance because it was very large.  It looked like a claw and as I got closer I could see the metal sphere that it was protecting.

The text asked, ‘Where are my roots? What is keeping me here?’  And the bible verse seemed to answer, “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord… That person is like a tree planted by streams of water…”  Psalm 1:1-3

The next artifact was called Verborgen (hidden, concealed), and it showed a metal rod with an incomplete cylinder around it.

I didn’t get a good photo of the sign for this one because there was a massive spider on top of it.  I got the heebie jeebies just looking at my photo.  But the text had to do with seeking and maybe even questioning God.  The verse with it was Luke 11:9, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

The last artifact was very inspiring to me.  It was called Bilder (images), and it showed five mirrors on an incline as I approached.  As I walked past, the mirrors suddenly showed a single metal sphere that was hidden behind the wooden barrier.

The text encourages the reader to have a good perspective and to look at the world with the right attitude.  The verse was 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”

While the path wasn’t all that philosophical to me until after I got home and worked on translating the words, it was beautiful and very interesting.  Plus, it taught me something new about the bible and showed me that there’s great stuff to do nearby.  My in-laws enjoyed it to.

What was your favorite artifact along the path?  Have you been to Bad Kissingen?

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