Baden-Baden

Often top of the list for visitors – and rightly so – is this small, five-star resort town on the edge of the Black Forest.

Baden means “baths,” the old-fashioned term for a spa; and the hot, soothing spring waters have attracted visitors for 2,000 years. The main spa is the historic Friedrichsbad; looking like a palace, it is home to the “Roman-Irish” baths. With its grand hotels and chic shops, parks and gardens, plus the elegant 19th-century casino, Baden-Baden is peaceful, relaxing and stylish. In the old days, this was a favorite of the nobility – now everyone can enjoy it.

Highlights

• Casino (Kurhaus): With its chandeliers, red velvet and gilding, James Bond would feel at home here. NB: To get in you have to be over 18 and carry a passport.
• Lichtentaler Allee: In this formal riverside garden, walk in the footsteps of Queen Victoria, Napoleon III and 19th-century Russian author, Dostoevsky.
• The Baths: In the Friedrichsbad, bathing is traditionally in the nude; in the modern Caracalla Baths (Caracalla-Therme), everyone wears swimsuits. Both have the same healing mineral waters.
• Museum Frieder Burda: The modern art and modern building provide a contrast to the historic town.
• Vineyards: Just on the edge of town are wine villages, jolly taverns and rows of grapes. 

© Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH