Top Sights in Baden-Baden, Germany
Sightseeing Guide to the Black Forest Spa Baths and Casino Town
Jan 31, 2008
Baden-Baden in the northern Black Forest is arguably the most elegant town in Germany. This town of around 50,000 is low on major sights but high on atmosphere – classy and very much upmarket. For many, the main attractions of Baden-Baden are the spas and Germany’s largest casino.
- The luxury hotels in Baden-Baden are on average amongst the most expensive in Germany. Fortunately, for many foreign travelers, German hotel prices are often much lower than in other West European countries. True budget travelers will find better value in nearby towns.
Spielbank Baden-Baden Casino
The neo-Classical Kurhaus, a large elegant white building, houses amongst other things the Spielbank (Casino).This Belle Époque Casino has space for 2,400 players and is one of Europe’s largest casinos. The stakes are amongst the highest too – up to €10,000 a go.
The casino is open daily from 2 pm. Passports are checked – no gambling for under-21-year olds and men should wear at least a jacket and tie.
Taking to the Waters – Baden-Baden Day Spas
Baden-Baden has 23 hot springs – water boils from around 2,000 m below the ground to reach the surface at up to 68°C (154°F). The mineral-rich water can be drunk in the neo-Classical Trinkhalle (Drinking Hall), a huge 90-m (295-ft) arcade with Corinthian columns and frescoes of local sagas.
- Taking to the waters rather than drinking it is a more pleasurably way to enjoy the springs of Baden-Baden. The two most famous day spas are the Friedrichsbad and Caracalla-Therme while many luxury hotels in Baden-Baden have their own facilities too.
The nineteenth-century Friedrichsbad is in the Roman-Irish tradition and the more elegant and more formal spa. Baden-Baden’s Friedrichsbad is a completely nude facility – the sexes are split for some treatments but still join up at some of the main baths. The standard course of 16 treatments takes around three hours.
At the nearby larger and more modern 1980s Caracalla-Therme swimming costumes are compulsory. It is a more modern aqua park with several pools and water features. Children over seven welcome.
Other Baden-Baden Attractions
Baden-Baden was destroyed by the French in 1689. As a result, most buildings are Baroque or newer styles. Gründerzeit (literally, foundation time) villas from the late nineteenth century are particularly popular.
It is a pleasure to stroll though the elegant town center and enjoy many of the public squares with fountains and open-air art. Many posh streets and squares are lined with upmarket shops.
- The Baden-Baden tourist office has maps for the fountains’ walk that leads past 50 fountains in the streets and parks of Baden-Baden.
The Lichtentaler Allee has been the main promenade since the nineteenth century when the European elite came here to see and be seen. This English landscape-style park stretches along the western banks of the Oos River and can be enjoyed freely by all. Across the stream, most properties are fenced off and strictly reserved for guests of the exclusive hotels.
It is worth going up the Merkur – a 668-m (2,200-ft) rocky peak in the outskirts of Baden-Baden. Access is rapid by the Merkurbahn, one of the steepest mountain railways in Europe – it has inclines of up to 54°.
Getting to Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is in the northern Black Forest in southwestern Germany near Strasbourg. It is possible to take cheap flights from many parts of Europe to the small Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (FKB). Baden-Baden is also easily reached by road (Autobahn A5) and rail as it is on the busy route from Frankfurt via Heidelberg and Karlsruhe to Freiburg and Basel (Switzerland).
- An interesting sight for drivers is Kloster Maulbronn, a medieval Cistercian monastery inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.
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