The municipality consists of two main towns, Bad Soden and Salmünster, which were joined in 1974, and now has a population of about 13,000.
Salmünster is probably the older, believed to have been settled by the 800s, and first mentioned in a document as Salchenmunster, albeit more than a century later.
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| Early-morning view of Salmünster when walking from Bad Soden, the top of St Peter & St Paul Church visible through the trees |
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| The church was built from 1737-45, replacing a building dating from the settlement's founding |
Soden, or originally probably Sodin, was founded by the monks of nearby Fulda Abbey in the early 900s.
It later enjoyed a boom after highly salinated wells were discovered, making for profitable salt works.
Production ceased in the late 1500s, but a salty well rediscovered in 1837 formed the basis of a spa industry, and led to the town receiving government approval of a name change to Bad Soden in 1928.
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| The old rathaus (town hall) of Soden, built in 1703 and now hireable for weddings |
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