Art & Culture in Baden-Baden

Yes, Baden-Baden offers a range of special cultural activities for children and young people:

• Theater performances for children and young people
• Guided tours and workshops: Many museums and galleries offer special guided tours and workshops for children and young people.
• Events: Baden-Baden regularly hosts events aimed specifically at children and young people, such as children's concerts and children's festivals.

Yes, Baden-Baden 💛 is an excellent destination for art and culture lovers.

Baden-Baden has a rich and diverse history. The Romans already appreciated the healing springs and built a magnificent bathing paradise here. In the 19th century, during the Belle Époque, Baden-Baden became a popular meeting place for the nobility and spa guests from all over the world.

Numerous museums, theatre and galleries invite you to visit. The renowned Festival Hall offers a high-calibre programme of opera, concert and ballet performances.

In addition to the cultural attractions, visitors can relax in the thermal baths and spas and enjoy the healing springs. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of the Black Forest, Baden-Baden combines history and modernity in a unique way and offers an unforgettable experience.

The composer Johannes Brahms spent many summers in Baden-Baden, where he wrote many of his best-known works.

During his stays in Baden-Baden, Johannes Brahms not only found relaxation, but also inspiration for his musical works.

One specific work that is directly linked to one of his walks in Baden-Baden is the Horn Trio. Brahms himself told a friend that the theme for the Horn Trio came to him ‘one morning’ when he was walking and the sun broke through at a certain point.

The Brahms House with its museum is located on a hill in the Lichtental district of Baden-Baden. The Brahms House is the only remaining apartment of the famous composer.

The famous Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, also known as Sisi, repeatedly spent time in Baden-Baden. She appreciated the healing thermal springs and the elegant atmosphere of the city. Sisi enjoyed walks in the magnificent parks and the social events that Baden-Baden offered as the ‘summer capital of Europe’.

There is an anecdote that Empress Sisi actually brought a cow 🐄 with her to Baden-Baden. Sisi was known for her strict diet and preferred fresh milk. Therefore, during her stay in Baden-Baden, she is said to have insisted on taking a cow with her to ensure that she had access to fresh milk at all times.

Although Baden-Baden's Festival Hall is one of the newer attractions, the city was almost on the verge of having an opera house by Richard Wagner much earlier. In 1872, Wagner actually intended to build a Festival Hall and had to choose between Baden-Baden and Bayreuth. Ultimately, however, he opted for Bayreuth due to his obligations to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, which led to the creation of the Bayreuth Festival Hall and gave Baden-Baden the slip, although his heart actually beat for beautiful Baden-Baden.

The Festival Hall Baden-Baden, which quickly became one of the most important opera houses in Europe after its opening in 1998, is regularly dedicated to the performance of Wagner's operas. The outstanding acoustics and the high quality of the productions make it an ideal place to experience Wagner's complex and majestic works.

The quote ‘Roulette until six o'clock in the evening. Lost everything.’ from the diary of the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy refers to his stay in Baden-Baden in 1865. During this time, Tolstoy frequently visited the casino in the Baden-Baden Kurhaus, which was famous for its roulette game. The quote reflects Tolstoy's personal experiences and the financial losses he suffered while gambling. It provides a fascinating insight into the temptations and risks faced by many visitors to the city in the 19th century.

Baden-Baden was a popular meeting place for European high society, who visited the city not only for its healing thermal springs, but also for its famous casino. Tolstoy's anecdote shows that even the greatest writers could find their appeal in gambling – and sometimes lost everything in the process.

The American writer Mark Twain visited Baden-Baden during his trip to Europe. In his book "A Tramp Abroad", he wrote humorously about his experiences in the city's spas and German life. Twain's entertaining observations and descriptions offer a fascinating insight into the culture and everyday life of Baden-Baden at the time. His stay and his literary works still contribute to the charming connection between the writer and the city today.

The famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky spent some time in Baden-Baden in 1867. It is said that his experiences in the city's casinos inspired him to write his novel "The Gambler". Dostoyevsky was known for his gambling addiction, and his stay in Baden-Baden is reflected in the vivid descriptions of casino life in his work.