Baden-Baden is a stroke of luck and blessed by Mother Nature. Black Forest mountains surround the town on three sides, offering ideal protection from bitter winds, but simultaneously providing fresh, clean air on a daily basis. To the west of the town lies the broad, sunny Rhine Valley. It funnels warm air from the south allowing spring in Baden-Baden to always have a head start. As the last remnants of snow are melting on the surrounding Black Forest peaks, the gardens in Baden-Baden are already bursting into bloom. Painstaking care throughout the summer ensures that the town always presents itself in a kaleidoscope of natural colours. The autumn is treasured by many, when the yellow and red leaves from the countless trees and bushes glisten in the sunlight. The winter is generally mild. Ski fans, however, have fresh powder snow on the doorstep; simply by going one step higher to the Black Forest.

The parks and gardens in the centre of the town are one of Baden-Baden’s showpieces. They represent a three kilometre long oasis of tranquillity and relaxation. This is the true heart of the town with an open, English styled park landscape and lush botanical gardens featuring exotic flora and fauna. There are over 200 different types of trees here from all over the world. In between there are fountains, small streams and ponds. Romantic pavilions, marble and bronze busts, irises and rhododendrons are dotted around the area. Roses are simply everywhere. Numerous paths weave their way alongside the river Oos, past the dainty bridges and the sound of water splashing over the cobbled river bed. This whole area is known as the Lichtentaler Allee – Baden-Baden’s natural masterpiece.

A cascading stream and small steps lead up to the Stourdza Chapel located on top of the Michaelsberg, behind the Trinkhalle. An ideal panoramic view of the town can be gained from this vantage point – the elegant mansions and hotels surrounding the Lichtentaler Allee, the tangled rooftops of the Altstadt, the church steeples, the bathing quarter and the Neues Schloss.

A central feature in the park is the Kurhaus; the focal point of Baden-Baden’s social life. Old-fashioned, ornate gas lights, which still have to be lit by hand, surround its impressive facade. Inside the building prides itself on its splendid function rooms and the most beautiful casino in the world.

The Augustaplatz located on the other side of the river, opposite the Lichtentaler Allee, harmonizes the old with the new. Its greenery and its artistically shaped lakes and fountains make it an island idyll in the middle of the town.

With a few strides across the Leopoldsplatz you will find yourself in the traffic-free Altstadt (old town); a paradise for strolling and shopping. You will find everything here from boutiques, antique shops, wine cellars, beer gardens and restaurants. Small grocers and large department stores also cater for all of your everyday needs.

Narrow alleyways weave their way up to the Marktplatz (market square) and the Stiftskirche (old parish church). Or you can take the shortcut up the winding stone steps. Climbing steps has never been so much fun!

Directly next to the Stiftskirche sees the start of the town’s bathing quarter with the Friedrichs-bad: a building rich in tradition from the glorious days of the “Belle Epoque”. It is a bathing palace of timeless beauty, built in the renaissance style over one hundred years ago. Marble, brass, stucco, narrow pillars, frescos and painted tiles decorate its interior and exterior. Every detail is a work of art in its own right. Behind the scenes, however, all technology is 21st century. Baden-Baden has over the years made every effort to lovingly restore its heritage, but, at the same time, bring everything technically up to date. The building is therefore now exactly what it was following its inauguration – one of the finest thermal baths in the world. The Roman-Irish Bath within the Friedrichsbad is unique. It is two hours of invigorating pleasure. The ritual involves a sequence of stages including showers, soap and brush massages, steam baths, hot air baths and thermal baths. A compulsory respite follows the active phase. After, you feel as if you have been reborn! Directly opposite, the architects Hübsch and Belzer erected another bath house, the “Alte Dampfbad”. The list of crowned heads of state and famous artists who have taken a cure here is impressive.

One reason to keep coming back to Baden-Baden is the Caracalla-Therme. It is one of the largest and most beautiful thermal bathing complexes in Europe. It is named after the Roman Emperor Caracalla, who was one of the first to recognise the healing powers of Baden-Baden’s thermal springs. It is an invigorating bathing experience and, above all, a healthy one too – thermal bathing at its best. Approximately 800,000 litres of thermal water, with a temperature of up to 69°C, rises daily from springs deep underneath the Florentinerberg hill and flow into the seven different pools at the Caracalla-Therme. The advanced, behind the scenes, technology means that the 1065 cubic metres of water in the pools is completely refreshed every 75 minutes. This ensures constant water and air temperatures. The 3,100 metre squared thermal bathing complex is a source of health and vitality with a touch of luxury.

Over one thousand square metres of white and blue marble gives the complex its classic elegance, while the glazed frontage allows the bathing paradise to be flooded with natural light. The different constant temperatures of the pools allows outside bathing in the fresh air all year round. Due to the health promoting effects of the water, a modern therapy centre has also been attached, where preventative and recuperative therapies are offered. The Caracalla-Therme – another milestone in Baden-Baden’s long bathing tradition.

On the one side of the Kurhaus gardens, behind towering sycamore trees, is the Trinkhalle. A waft of southern air greets the visitor when admiring this most impressive of buildings. The 90 metre long colonnade, with its Corinthian pillars and 14 murals of regional legends, is a spectacular sight at anytime of year. On the other side of the mountain, behind the Trinkhalle, lies the Südwestrundfunk Broadcasting House – one of Germany’s main television and radio broadcasting centres.

Three times a year, just beyond the town gates, international horse racing comes to Baden-Baden. They are ranked among the most important and most attractive race meetings in Europe. And it’s not just the runners and riders that are international, but the race-goers, too.

“Rien ne va plus” – no more bets. Following this final call, heard in casinos the world over, the tension starts to mount. Baden-Baden’s casino has the richest tradition of all German casinos. It is one of Europe’s largest and, without a doubt, the most beautiful casino in the world. History has been written with its rooms. Names from its illustrious guestbook include: Kaiser Wilhelm I, Bismarck, Dostoevsky, Ibn Saud, Marlene Dietrich, and the Aga Khan. The magnificent gaming rooms are furnished on the lines of 19th century French palaces.

The elegant Baden-Baden Theater originates from the same epoch. Modelled on the Paris Opera, the building was completely renovated, internally and externally, in 1992.

Spectacular art is on show in the Frieder Burda Art Museum and the adjacent Kunsthalle gallery. Alternating exhibitions of the high standard from artists such as Picasso, Dali, Feininger, Léger, Miro, Makart, Kandinsky and Henry Moore, to name but a few, are displayed here.

Subtle charm and a hint of luxury can transform businesslike congresses into something special. The town’s flair, in connection with the excellent room and technical facilities, has turned Baden-Baden into a first choice international congress resort. Many organisers have become “regulars”. In the medical industry, congresses for neurologists, orthopaedists, dentists and alternative practitioners take place on a regular basis. Central associations in the banking and finance world have also discovered Baden-Baden for themselves, just as many branches in the trade and industry sector have. This is a compliment to the world-famous spa town and a mark of confidence towards successful cooperation.

The modern congress centre is not banished to the outskirts; it is right at the heart of the town. It is surrounded by the pleasant greenery of the Lichtentaler Allee and the eminently designed Augustaplatz.

If you considered spending one night in every hotel in Baden-Baden, it would take you over thirteen years to complete the task. From the finest luxury hotels to the homely B&B, the hoteliers in Baden-Baden, with their 5000 beds enjoy international reputation. The large hotels have tended to concentrate themselves around the parks and gardens at the heart of the town. Others lie slightly more sheltered on the town’s outskirts in similar landscaped locations.

More than 7000 hectares of the Black Forest are within Baden-Baden’s boundaries: thick fir tree forests, idyllic valley meadows, gurgling streams, tranquil mountain lakes and rushing waterfalls. The area contains over 500 kilometres of signposted footpaths. There is even a route marked out from Baden-Baden to the Ruhr basin.

Place names such as Neuweier, Steinbach, Umweg and Varnhalt make every wine buff’s ears prick up. The best of Baden-Baden’s wines can be enjoyed everywhere – from the village pub or wine cellar to a gourmet castle. In the former moated castle in Neuweier, guests can feast in a truly noble manner.

An initial overall view of the town is best achieved from the Merkur, Baden-Baden’s landmark mountain. A funicular railway takes you to the top. It is one of the most modern of its kind in Europe and, with a 54 percent incline, also the steepest. You are rewarded from the top with a panoramic view of the town, the Black Forest, the Rebland wine region, the Rhine valley and the distant Vosges mountain range.

With the inauguration of the Festspielhaus in 1998, Baden-Baden’s international concert venue, a long standing wish was finally fulfilled. Even Richard Wagner considered performing “The Ring” in Baden-Baden, but, having been born in Bavaria, opted for Bayreuth instead. Over one hundred years later, Baden-Baden, with its close ties to European musical history, finally became what it had so long wished for. The Festspielhaus, the world’s third largest opera house, brings pleasure to artists and visitors alike.



Further information:
Baden-Baden Kur & Tourismus GmbH
Schloss Solms, Solmsstrasse 1
76530 Baden-Baden, Germany
Telephone ++49 7221 275200, Fax 275202
E-Mail info@baden-baden.com
Internet www.baden-baden.com