Guide with tips for Baden-Baden in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
One foot in a spa, the other in a wine bar — well hello Baden-Baden in Germany. The city is called gemütlich, but then in the category of cashmere and gala dress with champagne. On the edge of the Black Forest, men and power have been coming here since Roman times to immerse themselves in warm spring water and class. You walk past old churches, beautiful bathhouses and grand hotels that almost whisper how chic their past is. Phew, and you want to go here for the cake alone: the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is an institution.
Baden-Baden is the chic spa town on the edge of the Black Forest and everything you could want when you’re ready to relax. Think: centuries-old thermal baths, charming streets full of boutiques and a magnificent culinary offering. Add to that the surrounding nature and the cultural highlights (hello, Frieder Burda art museum), and you get it: Baden-Baden is the beating heart of slow luxury in Baden-Wurttemberg.
Baden-Baden can also be wonderfully combined with Freiburg en Stuttgart.
If you’re smart, put it on your wish list now: Baden-Württemberg. This southern German state is exactly what you’re looking for if you’re looking for a holiday that has it all, without having to cross half a world. Think: road-trip-worthy landscapes, charming cities where life takes place on the streets (or with your feet in the mineral water that flows through the city), wine routes that you’d best follow on foot or by bike (if only to be able to sample things along the way), and enough great places to end your day with a good meal and an even better glass of wine.
From Amsterdam you can travel to Baden-Baden, Stuttgart and Freiburg in about six hours. The region is easily accessible by train or car. Baden-Württemberg is large and diverse, and that is why Baden-Baden, Stuttgart and Freiburg can be perfectly combined. Together they form the entire palette of holiday mood: Baden-Baden, Stuttgart en Freiburg.
Wine, spa, good food — guaranteed to make us want to take a good nap afterwards. In the heart of Baden-Baden lies the Hotel am Sophienpark: a charming 4-star hotel with a rich history. Since January 2025, the main building has been undergoing extensive renovations, but guests are warmly welcomed in the Dependance on the edge of the hotel park.
The Dependance offers 15 exclusive rooms, each with a unique character and modern amenities. Some rooms have a kitchenette and a balcony with a view of the green park. Not unimportant: within walking distance you will find the famous Caracalla Therme, the historic Friedrichsbad, the Kurhaus with Casino and the Museum Frieder Burda.
Oh yes, the hotel also has a private park — and a good breakfast. A no-frills hotel that does exactly what it promises.
If there's one place where you feel like you're in an old movie – or in France – with porcelain cups, classic cakes and silver pastry forks, it's Café König, the oldest coffee house in Baden-Baden.
Inside it feels grand and timeless, outside you can sit under the chestnut tree with a view of the city. Homemade cakes, delicious lunches, coffee, bonbons and chocolate from their own confectionery. And a nice extra: the shop inside, where you can stock up on sweet gifts for those staying home.
Perhaps the cosiest courtyard in the city. If you are exploring the centre of Baden-Baden, you should take a side street to Weinstube Baldreit, a warm, rustic place hidden in an idyllic courtyard.
Inside you will find vaulted ceilings, wooden tables and that typical Baden cosiness. Outside there is a cozy city garden where you will gladly linger when the weather is nice. The menu? Regional and seasonal, with French influences and surprising details – think of a snail skillet with whiskey, the best flammkuchen and a salad that you will come back for.
When you say Baden-Baden, you say bathing. And in this city, you do that at a high level. You will find not one, but two iconic spas.
First of all the Friedrichsbad, a breathtaking 19th century spa house where you feel like you are in Roman times. Classical grandeur, mosaics, marble and a fixed bath ritual of no less than 17 steps (!). Think: hot, cold, scrub, steam, rest. And with that rest back home again.
A bit more modern but just as relaxed is the Caracalla thermal baths. With large swimming pools, warm mineral water from the deepest sources of Baden-Baden, whirlpools and an outdoor area under the trees. Ideal if you want to relax in slippers among the locals. And with a wonderful view.
Play both spas? Start at Friedrichsbad for the experience, and finish at Caracalla with a book in a lounge chair.
This is such a nice one because during the day it's a good coffee house, in the evening it's a fine dining adventure behind a secret sliding door. Malte's Hidden Kitchen is one of those places you need to know about.
In the cozy café you can sip on special coffee and tea from top regions during the day, with a freshly baked cake on the side. But as soon as the sun goes down, an intimate restaurant opens behind the hidden door where chef Malte (trained by star chef Martin Herrmann and with experience in Hamburg and on the Tegernsee) creates his works of art. The cuisine is distinctive, pure and product-oriented with a fixed menu.
Hidden in the serene courtyard of the Lichtenthal Monastery Café Lumen. You don't normally sit here comfortably on the terrace under the trees, and in the winter you crawl inside into the cozy interior filled with history on the walls.
What's on the table here? Only delicious things. Home-baked cakes, fresh soups, panini, barista coffee, homemade lemonades, ice creams and warm waffles. Everything prepared with fresh ingredients from the market on Klosterplatz and suppliers from the region, you understand: quality is number one here.
Extra fun: just a few minutes' walk away is the Klosterwiese, where there is a playground for those travelling with little ones.
On the historic market square of Baden-Baden, directly opposite the impressive Collegiate Church, you will find M10. A restaurant where you can taste the flavours of the region at their very best. For an extensive lunch, a cup of coffee with homemade cake or a cosy dinner on the terrace.
's kitchen M10 is all about classic Baden dishes: from grandma's Maultaschen to sauces that are finger-licking good (and yes, they make them themselves, every day). Everything is homemade and fresh, with ingredients from local farmers and suppliers.
Inside, it is cozy and stylishly decorated, and those who have something to celebrate can go to the beautiful party room upstairs, with room for up to 100 guests.
Authentic, yet hip.
When you say wine in Baden-Baden, you say Winery Nägelsförst. High above the city and surrounded by 33 hectares of premium vineyards, this historic winery offers perhaps the most beautiful views in the region.
The family business works organically, sustainably and with love for the profession. Every bottle tells a story of the place and that wine is there in abundance: think fresh rosé on the terrace or an elegant white for a special moment. The philosophy? Let the terroir do its work.
Do it! Book a tasting or tour, wander between the vines and discover how wines are made here by hand and with the heart. They organize the best events and take a bottle (or three) home with you. You won't regret it.
Not very far from the winery above is a damn good restaurant. Because those wines make you hungry. Okay, so you are just outside Baden-Baden, in the charming wine village of Neuweier to be precise, a stone's throw from Baden-Baden. The Weinstube is owned by Christian Beck, son of the owner of Hotel Heiligenstein, but certainly worthy of its own name.
Think: cozy tables, a beautiful terrace that begs for long summer evenings and a menu full of regional delicacies. Hearty seasonal dishes to light, vegetarian options and small bites, ideal for that one glass of local wine.
The atmosphere is friendly, the service is warm and the wine list is local.
Wellness, wine, check, but there's more to Baden-Baden. Like one of the most beautiful casinos in Europe. Casino Baden-Baden is not a flashy neon gambling hall, but a gigantic building where you can imagine yourself in a scene from an old Bond film. Think: chandeliers, velvet curtains, marble pillars.
And yes, you can of course take a gamble: roulette, blackjack, poker. But you also come here mainly for the atmosphere. For an evening that evening dress out of the closet and strolling, looking and being looked at. Or for a glass of champagne in the beautiful Belle Époque bar. Everything is allowed, nothing is required. Just dress neatly (no sneakers).
Flip's tip: combine a visit to the casino with dinner at the adjacent restaurant THE GRILL.
A Michelin star in-town. Chef Stéphan Bernhard knows his trade and you can taste it. Together with his wife Sophie, who plays the role of hostess and sommelier, he has created a hidden gem in the center of Baden-Baden: The French Garden.
Hidden behind a small sign on the street, an idyllic courtyard leads you to this charming restaurant, located in the historic Golden Kreuz building from 1893. In good weather, you can enjoy lunch or dinner here outdoors, while the glass roof enhances the light, airy atmosphere inside.
The cuisine is firmly anchored in French haute cuisine, but with a surprising, modern twist.
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