Ragaz, Bad, town, St. Gall canton, E Switzerland, at the confluence of the Rhine and Tamina rivers. It is a spa, with hot mineral waters conducted from the ancient springs of Pfäfers, a village c.2 mi (3 km) to the south.

Charles the Bad: see Charles II, king of Navarre.

Bad Reichenhall or Reichenhall, town (1994 pop. 17,050), Bavaria, S central Germany, on the Saalach River, near the Austrian border. It is a year-round health resort. Salt has been mined there since Roman times.

Bad Nauheim, town (1994 pop. 29,405), Hesse, central Germany, in the Taunus Mts. It is a world-famous resort, noted for its salt springs, which are used to treat heart and nerve diseases.

Bad Langensalza, town (1994 pop. 17,350), Thuringia, S central Germany, on the Unstrut River. It is an industrial and horticultural center. Manufactures include textiles, paper, processed food, and beer. Bad Langensalza was an early seat (13th cent.) of the Teutonic Knights. The town was annexed (14th cent.) by the house of Wettin, passing to its Albertine line in 1485. Bad Langensalza was annexed by Prussia in 1815, and in 1866 the Prussians defeated the Hanoverians there in a battle during the Austro-Prussian War. The town has retained parts of its medieval walls and a 13th-century castle.

Bad Kreuznach, city (1994 pop. 42,960), Rhineland-Palatinate, W Germany, on the Nahe River. Its manufactures include optical instruments, tires, machinery, and leather. Bad Kreuznach was probably settled in the Stone Age. Its radioactive salt baths have been frequented since Roman times, when it was a garrison town.

Bad Ischl or Ischl, city (1991 pop. 13,887), in Upper Austria prov., W Austria, in the center of the Salzkammergut. It is a famous spa. After 1822 it was the summer residence of the Austrian imperial family. Emperor Francis Joseph signed (1914) his declaration of war on Serbia there.

Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Bad Homburg, or Homburg, city (1994 pop. 51,455), Hesse, central Germany, at the foot of the Taunus Mts. It is a famous spa and resort. Manufactures include foodstuffs, machinery, textiles, and leather goods. Chartered in the early 14th cent., Bad Homburg was from 1622 to 1866 the capital of the landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg.

Bad Godesberg, part of Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, W Germany, on the Rhine River. It is the site of numerous foreign embassies and government agencies as well as residences of diplomats and government officials. It is also a resort noted for its radioactive mineral springs. In Sept., 1938, Adolf Hitler and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met there (see Munich Pact). Bad Godesberg was incorporated into Bonn in 1969.

Bad Ems, Germany: see Ems.

Bad Blankenburg: see Blankenburg, Germany.

known as Charles the Bad

(born 1332—died Jan. 1, 1387) King of Navarra (1349–87). He acquired Normandy from John II of France by threatening an English alliance. Arrested for his treachery in 1356, he escaped a year later and regained Normandy. He pursued shifting alliances in Spain in an effort to expand Navarrese power. Charles V voided his claims in France, and the discovery of his plot to poison the French king cost him all of Normandy except Cherbourg.

Learn more about Charles II with a free trial on Britannica.com.