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Baden-Baden is a compact spa town where most attractions sit along the Oos river and the Lichtentaler Allee park. The essentials are the two thermal baths, the casino in the Kurhaus, and the surrounding Black Forest. Entry prices here are in euros and were current at the time of writing; hours can shift seasonally, so check before you go.
Things to Do in Baden-Baden: Thermal Spas
Caracalla Therme
The modern spa with indoor and outdoor thermal pools, whirlpools, and a large sauna area. Water comes from the town’s springs at up to 68°C and is cooled for bathing. A bath and sauna ticket costs €26 for 2 hours, €30 for 3 hours, or €40 for a day pass. It’s open daily from 8:00 to 22:00 (last entry 20:00). Bring your own swimwear; towels and robes can be rented on site. For the least crowded hours to soak, see the best time to visit Baden-Baden guide.
Friedrichsbad
The 1877 Roman-Irish bathhouse, a 17-station ritual of hot and cold air and water baths over about 3 hours. Entry costs €39 and includes towels and slippers. It’s open daily from 9:00 to 22:00 (last entry 19:00), and most of the bath is mixed and clothing-free on most days, with single-sex sessions on set days. This is the more traditional, quiet experience of the two.
Things to Do in Baden-Baden: Historic Sights
Kurhaus and Casino Baden-Baden
The 1824 Kurhaus holds one of the oldest casinos in Germany, open since the 1830s and described by Dostoyevsky in The Gambler. Entry to the classic games room costs €5, you must be 21 or older, show a passport or ID, and men need a jacket and tie in the classic area. The slot-machine floor is more relaxed. The building itself is worth a walk through even if you don’t play.
Trinkhalle
A 90 m colonnade along the Kurhaus gardens, built in 1842 and lined with 14 frescoes. You can fill a cup with the town’s thermal water from the fountain inside. It’s free and open to walk through, and sits directly beside the casino.
Hohenbaden Castle (Altes Schloss)
The ruins of the 12th-century castle that gave the town its name, set on a hill about 4 km above the center. Entry is free and the site is open daily; from the top you get a full view over the Rhine plain. You can walk up from the town or drive and park nearby.
Things to Do in Baden-Baden: Outdoors and Views
Lichtentaler Allee
A 2.3 km park and arboretum running south along the Oos river, planted with rhododendrons, magnolias, and old trees. It’s the town’s main promenade and free to walk. Along it you’ll pass the Staatliche Kunsthalle, the Frieder Burda Museum, and the Trinkhalle at the north end.
Merkur Mountain and the Merkurbergbahn
The Merkurbergbahn funicular has climbed to the 668 m summit since 1913, covering 370 m of height over about 1,200 m of track at up to a 58 percent gradient in about 5 minutes. A return ticket costs around €7. From the top there are viewpoints over the town, the Rhine valley, and, on clear days, the Vosges in France. The valley station is about 3 km from the center, reachable by the 205 bus. For which months give the clearest views, check the Baden-Baden weather by month page.
Things to Do in Baden-Baden: Culture and Music
Museum Frieder Burda
A private modern-art museum in a 2004 Richard Meier building on the Lichtentaler Allee, holding a collection of Classical Modernism and contemporary work. Admission is €13 for adults, €11 reduced. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.
Festspielhaus Baden-Baden
Germany’s largest opera and concert house, a converted 19th-century railway station with about 2,500 seats. It hosts opera, ballet, and concerts, with the main season running autumn to spring. Ticket prices vary widely by production; book well ahead for the headline names. The events and festivals in Baden-Baden page lists what’s on.
Stiftskirche
The late-Gothic collegiate church in the Altstadt, with the tomb of Margrave Bernhard II. It’s free to enter and a short walk from the Marktplatz. Around it, the cobbled lanes of the old town, covered in the Baden-Baden neighborhoods guide, are the most atmospheric part of the city.
Things to Do in Baden-Baden: Planning Notes
Most of these sights are within a 20-minute walk of each other along the Oos. For a full day: start at the Trinkhalle and casino, walk the Lichtentaler Allee to the Frieder Burda Museum, then finish at Caracalla or Friedrichsbad. For where to sleep near the action, read the where to stay in Baden-Baden guide, and arrival details are in the Baden-Baden travel tips article.
The overview with climate and quick facts is on the main Baden-Baden guide.
