Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Baden's springs in the city they called Aquae Aureliae. Slip back 2000 years on a tour of
the well-preserved ruins of their baths.
Activities
Baden-Baden is criss-crossed by scenic walking trails. Footpaths lead to the crumbling
11th-century
Altes Schloss
, 3km north of the centre, with Rhine Valley views; the
Ger-
oldsauer waterfalls
, 6km south of Leopoldsplatz; and the overgrown
Yburg
castle ruins,
in the vineyards southwest of town. The 40km
Panoramaweg
is an above-the-city de-
light.
SPA
Friedrichsbad
( 275 920;
www.roemisch-irisches-bad.de
;
Römerplatz 1; 3hr ticket €23, incl soap-
and-brush massage €33; 9am-10pm, last admission 7pm)
If it's the body of Venus and
the complexion of Cleopatra you desire, abandon modesty (and clothing) to wallow in
thermal waters at this sumptuous 19th-century spa. As Mark Twain put it, 'after 10
minutes you forget time; after 20 minutes, the world' as you slip into the regime of steam-
ing, scrubbing, hot-cold bathing and dunking in the Roman-Irish bath. With its cupola,
mosaics and Carrera marble pool, the bathhouse is the vision of a neo-Renaissance palace.
TEN YEARS YOUNGER
Rheumatism, arthritis, respiratory complaints, skin problems - all this and a host of other ailments
can, apparently, be cured by Baden-Baden's mineral-rich spring water. If you'd rather drink the
stuff than bathe in it, head to the
Fettquelle
fountain at the base of a flight of steps near Römer-
platz, where you can fill your bottle for free. It might taste like lukewarm bath water but who cares
if it makes you feel 10 years younger?
Caracalla Therme
(
www.caracalla.de
;
Römerplatz 11; 2/3/4hr €14/17/20; 8am-10pm, last admission
8pm)
If you would prefer to keep your bathing togs on, this glass-fronted spa has a cluster
SPA
