Bad Arolsen

About

Bad Arolsen (German: [baːt ˈʔaːʁɔlzn̩], until 1997 Arolsen, Bad being the German name for Spa) is a small town in northern Hesse, Germany, in Waldeck-Frankenberg district. From 1655 until 1918 it served as the residence town of the Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont and then until 1929 as the capital of the Waldeck Free State. The International Tracing Service has its headquarters in Bad Arolsen.

Location: Bad Arolsen is situated roughly 45 km west of Kassel. The German-Dutch holiday road called the Orange Route runs through the town, joining towns, cities and regions associated with the House of Orange.

Neighbouring municipalities: Bad Arolsen neighbours are: the town of Diemelstadt to the north, the town of Volkmarsen (both belonging to the county of Waldeck-Frankenberg); the town of Wolfhagen in the southeast (Kassel district); the town of Waldeck to the south, the municipality of Twistetal to the southwest; the municipality of Diemelsee to the west (the last three in Waldeck-Frankenberg county) and the town of Marsberg (Hochsauerlandkreis in North Rhine-Westphalia).