Saturday afternoon we hit the road to Baden-Baden with our friends, Jeff and Marissa. Baden-Baden is only about an hour from Stuttgart in the Black Forest. Baden-Baden is well known for its spas, 200 year old casino, and being a great weekend get-away town. We planned to take advantage of everything that Baden-Baden had to offer!
We checked-in to our hotel, unloaded our bags and hit the pavement. We were ready for some exploring and lunch. Our hotel was right in the heart of Baden-Baden so we easily walked all over town. About 1/2 block from our hotel we were greeted with these lovely sights:
We checked-in to our hotel, unloaded our bags and hit the pavement. We were ready for some exploring and lunch. Our hotel was right in the heart of Baden-Baden so we easily walked all over town. About 1/2 block from our hotel we were greeted with these lovely sights:
Once we made our way into the town square we found a cute little restaurant that had outdoor seating. Since it wasn't raining (finally!) we braved the cool spring temperatures and sat outside. Luckily we had our beer and blankets (provided by the restaurant) to keep us warm!
Lunch was delicious! With bellies full of food and libation, we explored. Since it has been raining so much lately, all of the bushes, flowers, and trees are in full bloom. As we walked around we took in Mother Nature's handiwork:
As we browsed the goods, Brian managed to find an adorable Gordon Setter that was napping behind her owner's table of antiques. Seeing the Gordon Setter got us even more excited about our little Rocket Man!
After Trinkhalle we wandered up and down the streets of Baden-Baden until we had worked up a healthy thirst. We stopped in a cute little bar for a quick drink and then made our way back to the hotel. En route to the hotel we paused for a photo op in front of this cool fountain (please ignore the McDonald's in the background...):
Once back at the hotel we lounged around and slowly got ready for our big night out in Baden-Baden. The plan was to do dinner out in town and then try our hand at the casino. Here we are all spiffed up and ready for some fun:
Oh, those horrible fuchsia curtains? Yeah those are in our hotel room. Yikes!
Dinner was at Leo's Restaurant and turned out to be a delightful dining experience. Low lighting, candles flickering, and intimate tables made for a cozy dinner. Ambiance aside, the food stole the show. My saffron risotto with seared scallops was to die for. Brian's spinach and ricotta ravioli topped with healthy shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano was the creamiest, most delicious ravioli we've ever had. I wish we had photos to share, but alas, you'll have to take my word for it: If you ever find yourself in Baden-Baden, do yourself a favor and eat dinner at Leo's.
With a warm and happy buzz from our fantastic dinner we headed over to the casino with high hopes. This was not your average casino, this was a jacket-and-tie-required type of casino. We checked-in to the casino (everyone had to check-in with their passport and receive a personalized swipe card to enter), ordered a drink, and made our way through the rooms. Since photography was not allowed in the casino we have no pictures to share, but you can get an idea of what it looks like from here: Casino Photos. It felt like we were gambling in a gorgeous mansion. The ceilings were iced with intricate crystal chandeliers, the walls dotted with larger than life paintings, and the doorways swathed in decadent tapestries. There were only two blackjack tables in operation and a handful of roulette tables going (roulette clearly the more popular game at this casino). The casino was fun, but it was oddly quiet in the gambling rooms and we would have appreciated a few more blackjack tables. In the end we didn't win big, but we also didn't lose big and that was good enough for us!
We walked home in the wee hours of the morning ready for some rest after a full (fun) day in Baden-Baden.
Sunday morning we woke-up, ate a nice breakfast at the hotel, and then made our way to the Caracalla Spa. Baden-Baden is known for their mineral water baths, specifically old Roman-style baths. Caracalla is a more modern version of the Roman bathhouse. First and foremost, bathing suits are worn (yay!) and it's more of a very relaxing water park (minus the wild slides, screaming kids, and bad concession stand). The mineral water in the pools is suppose to have healing/rejuvenating properties. Caracalla was awesome. It was ridiculously relaxing and fun. We started out in the main indoor pool which has different jets and water spouts that are great for massaging sore or tired muscles. There were also ledges everywhere so you could easily just sit in the pool and relax. Next we worked our way over to the hot water pool (think hot tub) and soaked for the recommended 10 minutes. After that we went directly in to the cold plunge pool, which is just that, really cold water that you plunge yourself in and then get out. It felt amazingly refreshing! From there we checked out the outdoor pools which included a lazy river-style pool; this pool's current was so strong it pushed you around the pool along a circular path. For the better part of two hours we wandered from pool to pool until we were completely relaxed and a bit on the prune-y side from all of the water.
Once we had our fill, we dried off, ate a quick lunch, and then made our way back home. Our 24-hour trip to Baden-Baden was everything we hoped it would be and more. We will definitely be going back at soon!
If you'd like to view the rest of our photos from Baden-Baden, please click on this link:
Baden-Baden Photos
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