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Baden-Baden

Baden-Baden for families

family travel guide

Family trip to Baden-Baden: key takeaways

  • Popular spa resort
  • Specialist clinics for musculoskeletal disorders
  • Quiet atmosphere
  • Good hotels and apartments
  • Many steep streets and stairs
  • High real estate prices compared to other German cities
  • Many parks for children to explore
  • Many attractions nearby
  • Good opportunities for leisure activities

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Family holidays in Baden-Baden

There´s a quote in the center of Baden Baden by Bill Clinton that reads, "Baden-Baden is so nice, you have to say it twice". If you like old-world luxury, natural beauty, luxurious spa areas and a stately pace, then Baden-Baden in Germany could be the place for you.

Since the 18th century, when Tsar Alexander I married Princess Louise of Baden and paved the way for the Russian nobility to enjoy the spa, the natural environment has not changed or lost its lustre. But the modern tourist infrastructure has been added — and the high quality hotels, combined with the natural beauty, have made Baden-Baden a special place for families.

Information especially for the little ones: The Black Forest, at the foot of which the town lies, is the setting for some of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales. It is probably a good idea to reread the most popular stories before a holiday with children in Baden-Baden.

Baden-Baden on the map of Germany

Baden-Baden is a well-known spa town in south-western Germany, on the western slopes of the Black Forest, near the border with France. It is part of the state of Baden-Württemberg (administrative centre is Stuttgart). The distance from Baden-Baden to Stuttgart is 106 km, to Karlsruhe — 45 km, to Frankfurt — 175 km, to Strasbourg (France) — 65 km.

The first baths in Baden-Baden were built over two thousand years ago. The ruins of the old baths have survived to the present day, and the Friedrichsbad building, which looks more like a palace, rises above them.

No wonder: the spa was a place where royalty, aristocracy and celebrities soaked in the bath. Baden-Baden has lost none of its respectability and still proudly holds the title of Germany's premier spa resort.

Baden-Baden for Kids

How do you go on holiday with a child in Germany? You can stay in one of the big cities with children's museums and amusement parks. You can go to a ski resort where outdoor activities are top of the list. Or you can go to Baden-Baden, which offers museums, entertainment, activities, mountains and (if you need it) medical treatment.

Many people come to Baden-Baden for treatment. There are world-class clinics that can cure people with serious illnesses. But there are reasons to go to Baden-Baden even if you have no health problems.

The main reason to come to Baden-Baden with children is the amazing beauty of the town. This stylish resort has a wealth of attractions: architectural beauty, museums, parks — every walk brings new pleasures. You'll receive a free visitor's card on arrival, giving you discounts at museums and swimming pools.

The second reason is peacefulness. It is a small and very cosy town where life is leisurely (though very rational) and it takes very little time to get out into the countryside.

The third reason is the fresh air. There is no industry in Baden-Baden and the surrounding area, just mountains, forests and vineyards. And the town itself is buried in greenery, even flowers from early spring to late autumn: even oleanders, native to subtropical latitudes, bloom here.

The resort also has a few peculiarities. Firstly, accommodation here is quite expensive, especially in the summer and during the winter holidays.

Second, there is not enough entertainment for children in Baden-Baden, although this can easily be compensated by a trip to Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, where there are plenty of things to do for the whole family. Thirdly, there are a lot of steep streets in the city, so you need to be very careful when choosing a holiday destination with a young child.

Best time to travel

The seasons in Baden-Baden are never the same. Visitors come all year round to drink the mineral water, bathe in the thermal pools and undergo special treatments. Tourist numbers only increase in the summer and during the Christmas and New Year period.

Summer and early autumn are the best times to go on holiday with children. We do not recommend June and July (warm but rainy months), but August and September, when the weather is most sunny.

Warm summers and sunny autumns make Baden-Baden a great place to take a toddler.

The older the children, the less need there is to tie in with the season. In winter, for example, nursery and primary school children will be enchanted by the Christmas market, while teenagers can go skiing in the Black Forest.

Before you set off, it's a good idea to check the calendar of events on the resort's website. There's always something interesting going on.

With exhibitions, concerts and sporting events, it's easy to decide when to visit Baden-Baden.

The Festspielhaus is the largest opera and concert house in Germany, and you can see the ballet Swan Lake to the music of Tchaikovsky, listen to Mozart, Beethoven or Verdi, or take the kids to performances for the youngest music lovers.

Weather and climate

Are there resorts with bad weather? If there are, Baden-Baden is not one of them. Summers are warm but rainy, autumns and springs are sunny and winters are frost-free. Baden-Baden has an overall climate that is most conducive to outdoor activities, and that is why visitors come here.

The best time to visit Baden-Baden with children is from May to September. In late spring the temperature is +18-19°C and in early summer it warms up to +21-22°C.

July and August are the warmest months, with average temperatures of +23-24°C, but the thermometer can rise to +30°C and fall to +15°C. September is cooler, although the summer is hotter than the year: the beginning of autumn can be summery, but most of the time the temperature in September stays between +15-20°C.

On summer nights, the air in the town cools down to between +8°C and +12°C, so you'll need some warm clothes for your Baden-Baden holiday.

May, June and July are the wettest months. August and September are less affected by bad weather. In October there isn't much rain, the weather is clear but cool: thermometers reach +10-16°C during the day and +4-6°C or even 0°C at night.

In November the air cools down to +4-8°C. Rain begins to fall again, only to be replaced by sleet and snow. Throughout the winter, the temperature remains at +3-5°C, light frosts are possible at night, and snowfalls alternate with rain or thaw.

By March, however, the streets of the town are completely dry. The early spring in Baden-Baden is very sunny and the air can get as warm as +15°C on some days — although the average temperature in March is only +9-10°C. In April, temperatures rise to +14-16°C.

Food

Breakfast, which is included in the room rate, is the most common offer in Baden-Baden hotels. Tourists spend most of the day walking and sightseeing, so they eat out: there are dozens of colourful restaurants and cafés in and around Baden-Baden.

The cuisine is varied, but the food on offer is from Baden-Württemberg, which the children will love.

Here are some Baden-Württemberg specialities:

  • Maultaschen – like giant dumplings with a meat or potato filling;
  • Spätzle – a type of Central European egg noodles, more like small dumplings, a versatile side dish;
  • Gaisburger Marsch – thick soup with vegetables, spätzle and sausages;
  • Saitenwürstchen – Vienna-style sausages;
  • Ofenschlupfer –  traditional bread pudding comes from Swabia and is made with pieces of stale bread and apples, drenched in a custard-like mixture of milk, sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla sugar;
  • Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte – sponge cake with cherries and whipped cream.

If you'd rather do your own cooking, there are dozens of supermarkets and convenience stores in the city centre.

Spa Treatments

Baden-Baden's main asset is its thermal waters. They were appreciated by the Romans and are still appreciated today. The water from the 20 springs is distributed to the baths and the Trinkhalle. The water in the baths and the gallery is warm: it rises from a depth of 1200-1800 metres and the water temperature reaches 60-69°C.

According to the doctors of the XVIII-XIX centuries, the cure at Baden-Baden consisted of drinking mineral water and taking long walks. It's still a valid method, but only the local mineral water should be drunk under strict instructions.

In any case, before drinking warm brackish water, you should keep it in an open container for a few minutes so that the smell of hydrogen sulphide disappears. Of course, spa treatment is not limited to drinking mineral water.

Baden-Baden is a world-class health resort that draws on both natural resources and modern medicine. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, digestive organs and the musculoskeletal system are treated here.

The clinics' specialisations include rheumatology, treatment of diabetes and rehabilitation after heart attacks, strokes, injuries and operations.

Thermal baths

Even healthy people can enjoy a relaxing dip in a pool of thermal water. This can be done in a clinic as part of a therapeutic treatment, or you can relax in the pools of the Baden-Baden thermal baths.

The two largest complexes, the Caracalla spa (not to be confused with the ancient baths in Rome) and the Friedrichsbad, do not look much alike but are very similar in substance.

Both under the glass dome of the Caracalla Baths and in the baroque palace of the Friedrichsbad there are warm and hot swimming pools, saunas and massage rooms. The spa also has outdoor pools, secluded grottoes and an open-air recreation area.

Please note that children under the age of 14 should not swim in thermal pools: the water, with its high mineral content, can do more harm than good to your child.

Children over the age of 7 are allowed in the sauna. Bathing costumes are not required at Friedrichsbad, and four times a week men and women relax in the baths at the same time. To keep children entertained, there are play areas in the thermal baths and small children can be left in the care of an instructor.

Getting Around

Do tourists have to use public transport in Baden-Baden? Not often, but they do. For example, you can take bus 201 from the station to the town centre and bus 285 from the station to the airport. Some buses also go to neighbouring towns.

Fares vary depending on the fare zone your ticket is valid for. A single journey within Baden-Baden costs €2.50 for an adult and €1.40 for a child. A ticket for the outer suburbs costs between €3.50 and €4.30, and a child's ticket costs between €1.80 and €2.10.

For travel within Baden-Württemberg, it is advantageous to buy a Baden-Württemberg ticket. This entitles you to free travel on buses, trams and regional trains.

Children up to the age of 15 travel free when accompanied by an adult. A one-day Baden-Württemberg ticket in second class costs €25 for one adult and €32 for two adults. Tickets are available from DB ticket machines.

There are no delays on Baden-Baden's public transport system — although locals say the buses are sometimes late. There's a timetable at each stop, and the buses can be a few minutes late.

Please note that not all buses run frequently — some routes run once an hour or several times a day.

You can hire a bicycle to get around Baden-Baden. There are plenty of cycle paths in the city and bike hire shops are located in the most popular tourist areas, with a day's hire costing between €10 and €15.


Things to do with kids

What to do in Baden-Baden with a child? One of the first things that the town offers families with young children is trips into the woods and nature: the Black Forest National Park surrounds Baden-Baden. The gentle slopes of the mountains, covered with conifers and beech forests, are lined with hiking trails. Some can be reached by car, but most are accessible on foot.

There are several easy walks around Baden-Baden that can be covered in an hour and a half to two hours, even with a toddler. Narrow paths lead through beech woods and heathland, over stream bridges and past waterfalls.

"The Deer Trail" leads into a nature reserve that is home to deer, mouflon and wild boar. The Bobcat Trail is also fun for children, with 20 interactive stations along the way where you can become a cautious tracker or a playful rabbit.

Walking is not the only family activity in Baden-Baden. You can take your children cycling (mountain biking enthusiasts will be delighted), learn to ride a horse, play golf or tennis.

On warm summer days, you can take a dip in one of the outdoor pools or relax on the shores of Lake Külsee, which has a sandy beach and a safe swimming area for toddlers.

And in winter, a trip to the mountains is a good idea — the city may be muddy, but the mountains are knee-deep in snow, so snowshoes or cross-country skis are ideal for trekking. If the weather is bad, take the kids to an indoor climbing centre. The easiest climbing walls are suitable for beginners, while the more difficult ones are used by professional climbers.

You don't have to look for a special place to take your children for a walk either. The city is rich in parks and gardens, with green spaces stretching for several kilometres along the river Oos.

The most famous promenade is probably the Lichtenthal Alley, which has been transformed from a country road into a lush, flowering park. The avenue runs through a botanical garden, where colourful tulips in spring and dahlias in autumn are a sight to behold. In summer, however, the rose garden on the slopes of the Fremmerberg is the most beautiful: the garden is fragrant from early summer to late autumn.

On a rainy day, the Trinkhalle is usually the place to go for a walk. You don't have to drink the mineral water, but the frescoes by Jakob Gotzenberger are well worth a look. They depict the legends of the Black Forest — connoisseurs of Grimm's fairy tales will recognise some of the stories.

The Mehliskopf amusement park is only 20 km from Baden-Baden. It is even called a ski resort: in winter there is a ski slope. The lower part of the slope is gentle for beginners, but the upper part has a steep slope of 36°, which is a challenge for professionals. Mehliskopf has a snow park with 28 obstacles, a ski school and equipment hire.

In summer there is a bobsleigh run, a ropes course, a tricycle track and an archery range. There are dozens of walking and cycling routes in the area.

A trip for fun

Leisure activities in Baden-Baden are undoubtedly good for relaxation, but they may be too monotonous. To avoid boredom on holiday, you should at least set aside one day for a trip to Stuttgart with your child. Even if you don't go to the museums, it's an eventful day.

Firstly, Stuttgart is home to the Wilhelma zoo. This is one of Germany's largest zoos and a great place for families. Gorillas and chimpanzees in the monkey house, toucans, sloths and anteaters in the Amazon pavilion, bears of all kinds, rhinos, elephants, giraffes... Wilhelm Zoo has a Wild Weekend on Sundays and offers free themed tours.

The little ones will love Killelsberg Park with its mini-train, antique merry-go-rounds, contact zoo and children's theatre. The park is also home to one of the most unusual structures, the 30-metre-high Killesberg Tower, a spiral structure with viewing platforms on different levels.

As for playgrounds, Stuttgart has half a thousand of them, each in its own way. Children are particularly fascinated by the "Jim Knopf" playground (the hero of Michael Ende's book).

From Stuttgart, it takes 15 minutes to get to Ludwigsburg, where the Fairy Garden is located.

It brings to life children's favourite fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Thumbelina, Little Red Riding Hood, The Brave Tailor and other characters. Much attention is paid to Max and Moritz, characters from the poems of Wilhelm Busch, beloved by German children. There is also a water playground, a contact zoo and a shadow theatre in the fairytale garden.

An equally quick train ride from Stuttgart takes you to the town of Esslingen am Neckar, where the Nymphaea Park is home to hundreds of species. Whether it's parrots or tropical fish, whether the aquarium or terrarium is the quietest or whether the animals or birds are the cleanest, you can compare.

If you don't fancy a trip to Stuttgart, a trip to Karlsruhe is also an option on a family holiday in Baden-Baden. In one day you can visit the elephants and giraffes at the city zoo, the vegetable garden at the botanical gardens and the ropes courses at the Karlsruhe Forest Rope Park.

There's plenty of time for all that, unless your child wants to stop at every playground. And how can they not stop when the playground has a Viking drakkar or a working water mill instead of the usual slides?

Attractions

It doesn't take long to find out what there is to see in Baden-Baden. Most of the town's museums are concentrated along the Lichtenthal Alley, known as the Museum Mile.

A sightseeing tour usually starts with a visit to the Stadtmuseum. It takes an hour to walk around the small, very light building, looking at old furniture, tiles, paintings and old photographs. One of the rooms in the museum is a replica of the casino, one of Baden-Baden's landmarks.

Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden is also an interesting place to visit with a child. The museum focuses on 20th- and 21st-century art and has paintings by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Andy Warhol. The whole family can take part in a children's art workshop.


Outside the Museum Mile there are many other attractions. The most famous is the Fabergé Museum.

No other museum in the world has such a rich collection of works by Carl Fabergé. It was home to the Rothschild Egg Clock until 2014, when the owner of the collection donated it to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

Just 100 metres from the museum are the ruins of the Roman Baths, built some 2,000 years ago. We recommend that you first walk around the museum itself and imagine what the baths looked like, be impressed by the artistic lighting and listen to the audio guide commentary, then watch a short film about what the baths looked like in ancient Roman times.

The Gehrke-Remund Museum is also worth a visit during your holiday in Baden-Baden with children. It is a private exhibition dedicated to Frida Kahlo. The museum displays some of the artist's belongings and reproductions of her paintings, with the permission of the Mexican government.

But one of the most interesting places for children is the Toccarion Music Museum. Actually, it's not really a museum at all: it's officially called the Children's Music World, and it's an interactive space where you can sing, dance and play musical instruments — with the instruments sometimes doubling up as a dance floor.

Sightseeing in the neighbourhood

If you run out of things to do with the kids in Baden-Baden before your holiday is over, you can head to Stuttgart, which also has excellent museums.

First and foremost, of course, is the Mercedes-Benz Museum: Stuttgart is home to the company's headquarters. The museum's halls display the first models built at the end of the 19th century, historic cars that belonged to dignitaries, famous models of all times and concept cars of the future. A nice touch: free entry for children under 14.

Here's a list of other museums in Stuttgart that are fun for kids:

  •     The Porsche Museum with its collection of cars and the chance to see the restoration workshop where old models are restored;
  •     The Landesmuseum Württemberg, which tells the history of the state of Baden-Württemberg. There is also a children's museum with guided interactive games and excursions;
  •     The Linden Museum, with its rich ethnographic collection illustrating the cultural traditions of the peoples of the world (see the shadow theatre);
  •     The Natural History Museum — where you can show your child a stuffed mammoth, skeletons of prehistoric animals and the 300,000-year-old skull of Stenheim Man;
  •     Lapidarium — a collection of fragments of buildings destroyed in the wars (the oldest exhibit dates from the end of the 16th century);
  •     The Tram Museum, which includes historic trams that can be ridden around the city centre.

The museums in neighbouring Karlsruhe are also well worth a visit with children. Pupils will particularly enjoy a visit to the Centre for Art and Media Technology, which is housed in a giant glass cube. In the media section, you can try out the latest technologies that are not yet used in everyday life.

A tour of Karlsruhe Castle, now a historical museum, takes a couple of hours. Here you'll find ancient earthenware pots and fine porcelain, crowns and traditional Black Forest bonnets, weapons and curious knick-knacks, Roman statues and church decorations. And how long does it take to see the clock museum? Despite the interesting exhibits, you won't lose track of time.


Things to Do with Kids

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Where to stay

Baden-Baden is first and foremost a health resort and secondly a respectable one. As a result, hotels and apartments here are often luxurious and more expensive than in major German cities. The good news is that the level of service is also better: Service in the 3* spa resorts is on a par with the 4* hotels in Frankfurt or Munich.

So where can I stay with children in Baden-Baden? Most 5* and 4* hotels are centrally located, within walking distance of the Trinkhalle and the baths. Less demanding hotels are a 10-15 minute walk from the main attractions and the park area.

The outlying districts of Baden-Baden — Jagdhaus and Lichtenthal (30-40 minutes walk from the centre) — are mostly apartments for rent, although there are several boutique hotels and luxury villas.

It is important to remember that Baden-Baden is a hilly town. Baden-Baden is built on hills, so if you are travelling with a young child, it is advisable to find accommodation as close to the city centre as possible to avoid having to climb steep streets and stairs with a pushchair.

Near Baden-Baden it is also possible to rent a hotel room or apartment, although prices in the surrounding towns are not much lower than in the resort. There are good options in Bühl, Bülertal, Gernsbach and Sasbahwalden.

To choose the best place to stay with children, consider the following:

  •     The list of services for families with babies is not extensive, but there will be a cot in the room and a babysitter available for a fee;
  •     Many hotels have a playroom or playground for young children;
  •     Hotels often have indoor and outdoor pools, but few have separate pools for children;
  •     Children's menus are a rarity, but special meals for babies are available on request in some places.

For a self-catering holiday in Baden-Baden with children, apartments are practical. They are usually larger than hotel rooms of a similar price and have a kitchen, which is particularly useful for families with young children who require separate meals.


Places to Stay

Getting to Baden-Baden

By Plane

The most convenient way to get to Baden-Baden is to fly to Frankfurt am Main and then take the train directly to the resort at the airport. Frankfurt Airport is the largest airport in Germany and receives flights from many countries.

Stuttgart airport is closer to Baden-Baden, but you will probably have to change flights. On arrival, take the S-Bahn (line S2 or S3) to Stuttgart station and then take the train to Baden-Baden. You can also take a Flixbus directly from the airport to the spa.

The official Baden-Baden website offers flights to Karlsruhe airport.

By Train

Trains run to Baden-Baden from a number of neighbouring German cities. The journey from Stuttgart and Frankfurt takes between one and a half and three hours, depending on the train. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Deutsche Bahn website: https://www.bahn.de

By Bus

Baden-Baden can only be reached by bus from a few nearby cities, such as Karlsruhe. The connection between Baden-Baden and the airports of Frankfurt and Stuttgart is provided by Flixbus; the timetable is available on the company's website: www.flixbus.com. The journey takes one and a half hours from Frankfurt and 3.5 hours from Stuttgart.

By Car

The airports have car hire offices.

How to get to Baden-Baden:

  • From Frankfurt or Basel (Switzerland) take the A5 or B3;
  • From Munich or Karlsruhe, take the A8.

Baden-Baden is crossed by the B500, a tourist route through the towns of the Black Forest.