The Spas of Baden-Baden

I had been meaning to visit Baden-Baden for a long time but when my wife recently pointed out that Ryanair had started direct flights from Stanstead to Karlsruhe Baden-Baden I could see an ideal opportunity had arisen.

Baden-Baden is a small historic spa town on the banks of the river Oos, located on the western foothills of the Black Forest and not too far from the French border. The number of things to see for a long weekend are modest but nevertheless magnificent and ideally romantic for couples seeking a change of pace and the main streets with their beautiful architecture can be covered within a couple of hours at leisure.

There are two main public baths in town, each worthy of a lengthy visit but each with very distinct character. They are clean, reasonably priced and always take more of your time than you expect so I recommend buying at least a three hour ticket in the slightly larger Caracalla Spa and two as a minimum in the more traditional Friedrichsbad. After a visit to these you will feel cleansed and pampered but nevertheless quite drained so I don’t recommend visiting more than one in a single day.

Caracalla Spa	Friedrichsbad

Caracalla is the larger more modern spa with an extensive lower level comprising of large pools both inside and out which are fitted with a wide range of water-jets to pummel your flesh. The upper level is nudist only and is principally saunas of varying temperatures and styles, including an outdoor area with log sweat cabins.

Friedrichsbad is the more traditional spa with a complex honeycomb of spa areas decorated with elaborate baroque/Romanic frescoes leading to an awe-inspiring central dome. The entire spa is nudist with men and women initially separated they make their way from room to room through sixteen ritual steps until the men and women finally meet once more in the central domed pool. The soap scrub is an optional extra which I highly recommend.

There are quite a few hotels in the centre of town but few have extensive spa facilities of their own. I can highly recommend our choice of the Steigenberger Badischer Hof which has a sizable and tasteful facility with gymnasium and fully trained staff. Just make sure they give you a room facing the garden and river as it faces the rather lovely municipal park. We got the best prices through booking dot com.

Be warned that as a small country town there is limited night-life and the restaurants close at a slightly early hour, if you arrive late the best place to head for is the excellent Weinstube Baldreit on Küferstr. You can also get food with your beer at the Gasthaus Löwenbräu, but it’s the beer and atmosphere that makes this place.

Along the streets of Baden-Baden there are many enticing cake shops but only two are worthy of mention. The most famous is Café König, famed for its Black Forest gateau but soured by its lacklustre atmosphere and hordes of cake-stuffing elderly fans. Personally I recommend Café Beeg on the other side of town in the shadow of the Friedrichsbad with its comfortable outside tables serenaded by garden birds.

Other items to look out for if you have time are the beautiful Trinkhalle, which is also the tourist information centre. The Casino, Theatre and Staatliche Kunsthalle Art Gallery which are all accessible by walking along the banks of the river which backs onto the municipal park, making for a great early evening stroll.

If you want to get a little exercise I recommend a visit to the Altes Schloss, a ruined castle outside of town (you will need a map or bus) or alternatively there is a very efficient and remarkably cheap bus service to a lake in the Black Forest called Mummelsee which we visited.

It was a great little break that I’d highly recommend but the real star was the German people themselves with their impeccable manners, charm and attention to detail that make Baden-Baden somewhere you just don’t want to leave.

Link to Photo Slide-Show.