We were blessed with sunshine once again on our final day in south west Germany and what better way to end our trip than with a visit to the stunning Caracalla Spa in the centre of Baden-Baden. The town’s Roman Baths date all the way back to the first century when the Roman emperor Caracalla was known to frequent the town to take dips in the hot, thermal springs to ease his arthritis. Since then, people have continued to believe in the curative effects of the local hot springs and have travelled from far and wide to spend time in Baden-Baden.
The modern Caracalla Spa takes its name from the Roman emperor and is located next door to the original Friedrichsbad Roman Baths. This adult only, nude bathing house was partially closed at the time of our visit but we were more than happy to be bathing in the luxurious surroundings of the Caracalla. Admission for a 3 hour bathing and sauna package costs €28 rising to €36 for an all day ticket. I’ve had the pleasure of relaxing in numerous spas around the world but none can compare with the one here. As it’s not possible to take photos in the bathing areas you can view some on their website here.
Visitors just need to bring swimwear as large, fluffy towels are provided along with wristbands. Changing cubicles are of a unique design as they have a door at each end which is secured by a shelf mechanism. It’s all very straightforward as when we had changed into our swimwear we exited the changing cubicles by the other door which opened up to face a series of lockers. After we’d placed our clothes inside, a quick tap with our wristbands was all that was required to secure them. The wristbands can also be used towards payment in the spa cafes and restaurants as it’s inconvenient to walk round with a purse.
There’s a wide choice of inviting pools to relax in with the thermal water ranging from 18-38 degrees Celsius depending on which pool you select. The spacious indoor area lies beneath a huge glass dome and features a rock grotto with both hot and cold pools and a swim through area to the extensive outdoor pools. We spent a blissful morning relaxing in the aroma steam bath, before moving through the series of pools and into one of the large jacuzzis. Lying back in the warm thermal water was a wonderful, healthy treat and in my opinion an integral part of a visit to Baden-Baden.
Leaving the baths feeling rejuvenated we turned our attention to art with a visit to the Frieder Burda Museum, featuring a contemporary art collection covering modernism including some late Picasso’s.
The museum is located on the Lichtentaler Allee and stands in stark contrast with its geometric white and glass structure to the town’s Baroque architecture. A temporary exhibition was taking place entitled ‘The King is Dead, Long Live the Queen’ displaying the works of 31 female artists of different generations and cultural influences.
Moving on from the museum, it was then a 15 minute walk to the Festival Hall which has the most beautiful neo-classical architecture, as the entrance to the opera hall is located in the former railway station.
It was definitely worth the effort of walking there to view its stunning entrance hall, original ticket booths and station clock. The venue can seat up to 2,500 people and is one of the largest classical museum auditoriums in Europe.
Back in town we couldn’t resist one final ice cream cone and we both had no hesitation but to choose black cherry as during the week it had become our favourite. I never seemed to get an opportunity of taking ice cream photos as it was always so hot and sunny that we had to eat them very quickly before they melted!
It was then time to return to the lovely Hotel Merkur to pick up our car and drive to Basel airport for our flight back to London Heathrow. Unlike some airports we’ve returned hire cars to, it was very easy at Basel as car returns were clearly signposted and after parking we just had to drop the keys off at the Hertz desk before checking in.
Our flight departed on time and we returned home with fond memories of our lovely stay in the Black Forest. Over the five days we explored many beautiful small towns and villages, participated in a range of fun activities and visited several interesting museums.
I hope you have enjoyed following our road trip and may now be inspired to visit the charming Black Forest and Baden-Baden area yourselves.
During our visit we were guests of Visit Schwarzwald and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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