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Princes and crowned heads have already rested here.

 

The city of Baden-Baden is located on the northwestern edge of the Black Forest. Its history dates back to Roman times, which is connected with the hot thermal springs located not far from it. Near the city rises Mercury, not the planet, but a mountain with a height of 668 meters. A little further to the southeast is the highest point of the district, the Badener Höhe, with an altitude of 1,002 meters above sea level. However, the built-up areas of the city lie in the valley of the small river Oos. The Black Forest High Road, a very popular vacation route, starts from Baden-Baden.

 

But why does Baden-Baden have such a double name? To explain it, you first have to know that the Romans called the place "Aquae", which means "spring" or "bath", because of the hot springs. This initially gave rise to the simple name Baden. In the course of history, today's Baden-Baden was the residence city of the Margraviate of Baden until 1689, and its state name "Baden" has its origin in the name of the city. Now, however, there are several towns called "Baden", one is in Switzerland, another near Vienna, and a "Badenweiler" used to be called merely "Baden". So "Baden-Baden" was used as a clarification, meaning "Baden in Baden".

 

A special building of the city is the Trinkhalle, which is located in the Kurgarten. It is ninety meters long and contains sixteen Corinthian columns as supports. It was built according to the plans of the architect Heinrich Hübsch. Inside there are a total of fourteen large pictures painted by Jakob Götzenberger, each depicting a mythical legend from the surroundings of Baden-Baden.

 

The city is best known for its thermal springs, which are up to 68 degrees hot. It is to them that Baden-Baden owes its status of a spa and health resort town, to which it owes many vacationers every year, including celebrities. Nowadays, the Kurhaus hosts a number of concerts and cultural events. In addition, a festival theater has been built in the old city train station, which is the second largest of its kind in Europe. Baden-Baden is an important location for the Südwestrundfunk radio station, which organizes the annual New Pop Festival here in September.

 

Speaking of music, it is a central theme in Baden-Baden. Of international renown is the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, whose history can be traced back to the fifteenth century. The orchestra not only performs in the city, but also gives concerts in many other countries. In addition, there is the SWR Sinfonieorchster Baden-Baden and Freiburg. Since 1997, Baden-Baden has also hosted the Herbert von Karajan Whitsun Festival, which since 2003 has included the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize.

 

And Baden-Baden also has something to offer when it comes to forests: Its municipal forest is namely the largest of Germany and covers an area of over 8,500 hectares. In addition, there are several vineyards around Baden-Baden. Last but not least, there is a 73-hectare ban forest, the Battert, in the district.