We went to Baden Baden for the spas, but we fell in love with the quaint and peaceful town. Our first walk we took had us pass the Stiftskirche above and climb up to the Neues Schloss to a charming view of the town. In addition, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the Christkindeslmarkt , conveniently located at the Kurhaus Colonnade , was still open the first week in January. We wandered from spa to market stall for soups, sausages, and mulled wine and back to spas for three days.
We left Baden Baden with full stomachs, astonishly healthier skin, and the newfound ability to not be ashamed of our nakedness in front of hundreds of spa-going Germans more on that later. Worth a look is the Trinkhalle directly next to the Christmas market. Lined with frescos and - in the Christmas season - artistic nativity scenes, it makes for a nice evening outing.
Our first full day involved a stroll along the River Oos and and a walk to the Christmas market, and some other popular sites.
In particular, we found the little bridges criss-crossing the river some public, some private to be particularly charming and beautiful in the snow. The museum building was itself beautiful, and I particularly enjoyed walking by it as the day faded and its exterior lit up with colorful lights. But Baden Baden, as the name strongly suggests, is known for one thing in particular: its thermal baths.
And so we visited two of them. Starting with Caracella Therme , we enjoyed at 19 Euros for 3 hours the various indoor and outdoor pools in the impressive facility.
