View down to Baden-Baden from the Batert rocks
The "Summer Capital of Europe", as it has been called by many your upper class international visitors in the 19th Century, is a place for connoisseurs. In that time begun, the Kurhaus, the bandstand, the elegant hotels, the residential areas, the public thermal baths and the international horse racing in Iffezheim which forms to this days the town.
The bath district, at the foot of his mediterranean garden with the famous hot springs, mineral baths and spas, do not let you go past unimpressed. The many restaurants and cafes invite you on a culinary adventure. Notice the easy living style and the friendliness of the people, which is typical for the region of Baden.
Today, the spa town still enjoys a high international reputation. The Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, one of the most beautiful casinos in the world, the Trinkhalle with the legendary paintings of the area, numerous museums, international events such as the German Media Award, which has been realized yearly since 1992 in Baden-Baden, as well as the Sinzheimer horse racing weeks are attracting not only a lot of prominence to Baden-Baden, but also characterize the cultural attractions of the city.
"Baden-Baden is so nice you have to name it twice"
Bill Clinton, former U.S. president, supposed to have said while visiting Baden-Baden.
The nature around Baden-Baden, with almost 90 square kilometers of forest land includes the largest urban forest in the Germany. It has a many fascinating sports and recreational facilities in every season. The wine country, a sun-kissed grapes landscape is just six kilometers Southwest from the city center of Baden-Baden and has magnificent views over the Rhine valley and the Black Forest and is the ideal place for walking and cycling.
Decide for yourself whether you are looking for, to take in summer a cool swim in the numerous lakes, or would you prefer to hiking, climbing and mountain biking in the mountains to cool down. In winter the black forest offers all skiers and snowboarders great downhill and cross country skiing opportunities. Outdoor ice rinks in front beautiful rock scenery create the magic of winter in each.
The history of the city
The first signs of settlement of Baden come from the Middle Stone Age around 8000-4000 BC. But also in the following periods of the Stone and Bronze Age the grave goods were been discovered. But most of all with the invading of the Romans around the year 80 AD, Baden became more important. They founded a settlement in todays Old Town, and built several thermal baths. The remains of them are issued today near the Caracalla Baths.
Around the 260 AD, the area was conquered by the Alamans and in the 8th Century it was under the Frankish rule. Around the year 1250, after the Graf Hermann II acquired the territory, Baden-Baden got the city status. From the 13th Century the hot springs baths were used again and the spa seemed to blossom, until finally on the 24th August 1689, the city was burned by the invading French troops. Thereby also, the New Castle was destroyed, the Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm who was leading during this time, was forced to move his seat of government and built his new residence in Rastatt, the Rastatt Castle.
In the 18th Century, the city finally began to blossom again, a lot of luxury hotels were been created, the casino and the Kurhaus was built in the years 1811 and 1824. In 1858, for the first time the international horse races took place in Iffezheim, by the way, they still enjoying a high reputation today. Thus, the city has been elected by its many distinguished guests to the summer capital of Europe, Paris was at that time, the winter capital of Europe.
