Bad Langensalza (; until 1956: Langensalza) is a spa town of 17,500 inhabitants in the Unstrut-Hainich district, Thuringia, central Germany. Geography Location Bad Langensalza is located in the Thuringian Basin, the fertile lowlands along the Unstrut river. The river Salza flows through the town and joins the Unstrut about east of the town. Bad Langensalza lies in an unwooded, intensively farmed and largely flat landscape that rises to the west to the Hainich, to the north to the Heilinger Höhen (Heilinger Heights) and to the southeast to the Fahner Höhen (Fahner Heights). Due to this location, the climate in Bad Langensalza is relatively mild and, with annual precipitation of about , very dry. The town itself is divided into the relatively large old town centre, which is bounded by the historical town wall, and several areas of urban expansion dating from 1850 onwards. Initially, the town expanded southwards and south-eastwards towards the railway station. This is also where the first industrial areas were built. This was followed by expansion to the southwest, where the village of Ufhoven is located, which has since been incorporated into the core town. Since 1950, Bad Langensalza has expanded mainly to the north, where several residential and commercial areas have been built. Municipal reforms since the early 1990s have greatly enlarged the administrative urban area, which now stretches from the forests of the Hainich National Park to the eastern side of the Unstrut river. Neighbouring towns Neighbouring towns of Bad Langensalza are Mühlhausen, northwest, Eisenach, southwest, Gotha, south, Erfurt, southeast, Sömmerda, east and Sondershausen, northeast. Neighbouring municipalities are (clockwise, starting in the west): Schönstedt, Unstrut-Hainich, Nottertal-Heilinger Höhen, Kirchheilingen, Sundhausen, Tottleben, Urleben and Großvargula in the Unstrut-Hainich district, Tonna and Nessetal in the Gotha district and Hörselberg-Hainich in the Wartburg district. Administrative division Bad Langensalza is divided into a total of 15 quarters (including the core town): History The town was first mentioned in historical records ca. 932, as a village named "Salzaha". The town's name was changed to Langensalza ca. 1578, and "Bad" ("Spa") added to the name in 1956. In 1075, Langensalza was the site of a battle, in which Emperor Henry IV won over the rebelling Saxons and Thuringians. The town was plundered and damaged by fires during the Thirty Years' War (c. 1632). Fires again destroyed large parts of the town in 1711, including complete destruction of the town hall, which was