Baden-Baden, in depth
Background reading for a spa town that has been in business since the Romans: where the hot water comes from, how the casino made the place famous, and what to look at while you are here.
The Historic Baths and Thermal Spas of Baden-Baden
Two thousand years of bathing, from the Roman ruins under the old town to the Friedrichsbad of 1877 and the modern Caracalla Spa.
Baden-Baden in Roman Times
How the hot springs turned a valley in the Black Forest into the Roman settlement of Aquae, and what you can still see of it today.
The Story of the Trinkhalle
A 300-foot colonnade from 1842, sixteen frescoes of Black Forest legends, and the mineral water that spa guests once came to drink.
The Kurhaus and Its Casino
From Weinbrenner's assembly rooms of 1824 to the gaming halls that made Baden-Baden the summer capital of Europe.
Baden-Baden as a Cultural Center
Germany's largest opera house, a Richard Meier museum and a state art gallery, all within one walkable spa town.
Famous Visitors of 19th-Century Baden-Baden
Dostoevsky at the roulette table, Brahms in Lichtental, Mark Twain taking notes: who made the spa town famous.
The Landmark Buildings of Baden-Baden
Kurhaus, Trinkhalle, the neo-baroque theater, a gilded Russian church and two castles above the rooftops.
Baden-Baden on Film
Why directors keep coming back to a town where the Belle Epoque sets are already standing.
Our full archive of long-form guides is written in German. If you read German, browse the complete Baden-Baden magazine with 30+ additional articles.
Where to start
If you are planning a first visit, read the historic baths and thermal spas first. It explains the difference between the Friedrichsbad, which is a fixed circuit taken without a swimsuit, and the Caracalla Spa, which is a conventional swimsuit-on thermal complex, and that one distinction decides how most people plan their day.
For context on why a town of 55,000 people looks the way it does, the Kurhaus and its casino covers the decades when Baden-Baden was called the summer capital of Europe, and the landmark buildings turns that history into a walking route.
Ready to move from reading to booking? Start with the attractions, the thermal baths and spas or the annual events calendar.