Baden-Baden Things to Do

Here are our (me and my sister) experiences of saunas in Caracalla:

Crystal sauna, 90 C: there were "some kind of crystal" in the sauna and some essential oils in the air. The sauna was quite hot and dry (even to us who has used to sauna a lot).

Vapour sauna, 85 C: essential oils were too much for me in this sauna.

Aroma sauna, 85 C: there were green lightning and the essential oils were quite strong but I kind of liked it.

Sauna of silence, 95 C: this was a nice sauna. The main thing in this sauna is that there should be a total silence. This was the nearest to the Finnish sauna and propably that was a reason why I liked it so much.

Sanarium, 57 C: this was too easy for us. This is an alternative if you can't stand the real Finnish sauna. If you think that Finnish sauna is too dry and hot, try this instead. It has been said that this sauna improves and purifies your skin.

Blue space: this was a kind of odd experience. Everyone was laying in those illuminated (hard) beds, there were optical sounds and the beds were vibrating. This was too strange for me and I couldn't relax there.

There's also solarium and hot lamps ("airjets" as they call it) but we didn't try them.

The spa has more than 3,000 m² space. The water is healing thermal water and water temperatures are from 18 to 38 C. The thermal water comes from natural springs in the Florentine Hill in Baden-Baden. It has been said that bathing in thermal water actives, rejuvenates and stimulates the entire body and it's a good treatment for example rheumatoid arthritis, spinal and locomotive disorders etc.

Notice that children under 3 years are not allowed in the spa! Children between 7 and 14 years may only go if they are accompanied by an adult.

The spa is open Mon-Sun 8 am - 10 pm.
2 hours visit is 12 € and 4 hours visit 16 €.

Baden-Baden not only has one of the leading casinos in Europe, but also one of the oldest. The architecture outside and especially inside is overwhelming!!

You can take an interactive tour through the casino on their webpage - or even better, if you visit, go there before opening hours and go on a real tour through the casino. We did it and found it to be well worth while!

These guided tours are outside the gaming hours at 30-minute intervals every day except All Saints´Day (1 November) and 24 December.

VISITING TIMES:
01.04. - 30.09.: 9.30 - 12.00
01.10. - 31.03.: 10.00 - 12.00
Last tour starts at 11.30

TARIFFS (2003):
€ 4.00 per person
€ 3.00 per person for groups of over 30

Special tours in French or English by prior arrangement.
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The ancient Romans have already enjoyed the thermal springs of Aquae, the settlement that later became Baden-Baden. Excavations have unearthed the remnants of the Roman spa. The ruins can be seen underneath the Friedrichsbad at the entrance to the parking garage.

Opening hours: March 16 to Nov 15, 11.00-12.00 and 15.00-16.00 (Nov 16 to March 15 closed). Opening hours have been reduced to one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon in 2010!
Entrance fee: adults € 2.50, kids (14 and under) € 1.00. The entrance fee includes an audioguide which is helpful to understand what you see, there are no written explanations in the excavations. The audioguide is available in several languages.

Strictly no photography inside (*whispers* but when the thing is closed no one can keep you from taking photos through the window)

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The former residence of the Marggraves of Baden-Baden on the Florentinerberg was first built in the 16th century and later extended. In 1700 Marggrave Ludwig Wilhelm decided to move to Rastatt where he had his new baroque palace and town erected. The palace in Baden-Baden served only for occasional visits from then on.

In 1995 the Marggraves of Baden sold the palace and all its interior in an auction. An investor bought the building and planned to turn it into a luxury hotel. So far, nothing has happened, probably due to financial problems. The decay of the building continues, its further fate is yet to decide about.

The terrace (photo 2) offers a nice view of the town and the valley.
The palace itself is closed to visitors. If the main gate is open, at least a (forbidden) peep into the courtyard is possible (photo 5).

Update, summer 2010: Seems a new investor has been found and new plans have been made. A recent press release announced the the works to start soon. "With utmost care" (whatever that is supposed to mean) the palace will be turned into a luxury hotel. A new building is planned in the park. The hotel is to open in 2013. The picture (photo 5) is taken from the sign they have put up outside the palace.

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Merkurberg has become a popular hang gliding base in recent years. A big gale in 1999 (the infamous “Lothar”) has left large clearings in the forest around the summit and the local hanggliding club has, in close contact with the authorities and in regard of protection of nature, been able to establish two starting points, one to the west and one to the northeast.
On fine days there are often hang gliders around and you can watch them from close by.

See a hang glider take off in my travelogue

In case you are a hang glider and want to fly from Merkurberg: Yes you can, though not ‘just like that’. Apologies because I do not know a thing about hang gliding but I have read the information boards on the mountain top... The base on Merkurberg is controlled by the local hang gliding club named Schwarzwaldgeier, the “Black Forest Vultures”. Everyone can fly there but you must have a licence, buy a day membership and be instructed about the area by one of them. Check out their website and/or contact them for terms and conditions and all details: www.schwarzwaldgeier.de

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Climbing Merkurberg can be done easily by funicular. It runs every 8-15 minutes depending on demand. Return fare is 4 €. You can buy tickets either from the souvenir shop in the station or from a ticket machine. KVV tickets are not valid on the funicular.

The funicular is remarkably steep, 54% in the top part of the line.

To reach the bottom station of the funicular, take bus 204 or 205 from the town centre, 205 also runs to/from the train station. Each of them runs only once per hour, so check the timetables in advance.

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Baden-Baden’s „house mountain“ offers a beautiful view of the Oos valley with the town, the mountains of the northern Black Forest and over the Rhine plain to the Vosges. A network of hiking trails start from the top station of Merkurberg funicular, so if you feel like exercise you have plenty of options. If you prefer taking it easy, enjoy the view, walk a bit round the summit, watch the hanggliders, stop for a coffee at the cafe in the top station… If you plan more activity, the summit is connected to the wide network of hiking trails around Baden-Baden.

Originally named Großer Staufenberg, it was renamed Merkurberg after an ancient stone relief of the Roman god mercury had been found here. A copy is put up on the summit.

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The Festspielhaus first opened its doors in April 1998. With 2500 seats it is the second largest opera house and concert hall in Europe. The Festspielhaus is the only privately funded opera house in Europe.

The bulding was constructed around the historical train station, and the two architectural styles where combined under the leadership of Viennese architect Wilhelm Holzbauer. The acoustics of the Festspielhaus are considered to be among the best in the world.

I was fortunate enough to attend a concert of Bach's Matthias Passion, and it truly was a magnificent excperience. This was only one of 80 classical concerts presented per year, in addition to the operas, ballets and other concerts.

The Festspielhaus also houses the Restaurant Aida. Tours of the house are available on certain days throughout the year, the duration is around 60 minutes, and the cost 5Eur.