Baden-Baden
Lying on the western edge of the Black Forest Baden – Baden is without doubt one of the most important spa towns in all Europe. The spa at Baden-Baden dates back to Roman times but in the early 19th century the town was systematically transformed into a modern spa town.
Baden-Baden can be found in the valley of the River Oosa and extends across the surrounding hills. It is made up of several neighbourhoods, each one boasting its own unique buildings. The whole represents one of the most celebrated and frequented spas of the 19th century, in its time known as “Europe’s summer capital“.
The town’s innovative approach to balneology can be seen in the historical neighbourhood with 12 thermal springs, the ruins of a Roman baths, a rare example of a Baroque spa within the New Chateau and the Friedrichsbad.
The well-preserved new spa area includes one of the oldest examples of a European Kurhaus which was built by Friedrich Weinbrenner. This is also where we find the theatre (1860-62) designed by French architects. Another part of town is the villa quarter with its churches belonging to several denominations.
The town also boasts many famous period hotels such as the Badischer Hof (1807), the first grand hotel in Germany, and several parks. Internationally renowned composers including Berlioz, Offenbach, Brahms and Schumann, as well as writers such as Turgenev and Dostoyevsky, also contributed to Baden-Baden’s wonderful story.