Baden-Baden - City of Germany

Baden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe.

The German word 'Baden' translates as 'to bath/bathe'. The springs of Baden-Baden were known to the Romans, and the foundation of the town is referred to the emperor Hadrian by an inscription of somewhat doubtful authenticity. The name of Aurelia Aquensis was given to it in honour of Aurelius Severus, in whose reign it would seem to have been well known. Fragments of its ancient sculptures are still to be seen, and in 1847 remains of Roman vapour baths, well preserved, were discovered just below the New Castle.

During the Second Congress of Rastatt, Baden-Baden was rediscovered as a spa town. The 19th century saw the town rise to become a meeting place for celebrities, attracted by the hot springs as well as by the famous Casino, luxury hotels, horse races, and the gardens of the Lichtentaler Allee. Baden-Baden was then nicknamed the European summer capital. The Russian writer Dostoevsky wrote The Gambler while compulsively gambling at the Baden-Baden Casino. Johannes Brahms' local residence, the Brahmshaus, can still be visited today.

From September 23 to September 28, 1981, the XIth Olympic Congress took place in the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden.

Former US President Bill Clinton was so taken by this little town that he stated "Baden-Baden is so nice they had to name it twice".

The England Football Team were based near Baden-Baden at Hotel Bühlerhöhe during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, while their wives and girlfriends stayed at the local Brenner's Park Hotel.