Baden-Baden Casino's design, which opened in 1838, drew inspiration from the French palace Versailles. The Russian author Dostoevsky was said to have compulsively gambled here while writing "The Gambler." At one time, real silver and gold chips were used to gamble; today's visitors can play a variety of games, including favorites such as slot machines, roulette, poker and blackjack. The casino has a dress code: Men must wear a jacket and tie; women are not allowed to wear shorts; and sports shoes are forbidden for both men and women. At time of publication, the casino hosts 30-minute tours two times every morning, daily.
The Roman Baths, originally built for the Roman Emperor Caracalla and his soldiers, are about 2,000 years old and have been fully excavated and preserved for visitors. The baths offer guided tours, audio guides and a short computer animated film about their history. At time of publication, the baths open every day. Visitors should expect to pay an entrance fee.
The Iffezhein Racecourse holds three major races each year: the Spring Meeting in late May or early June, the Grand Festival Week at the end of August and early September and the Sales and Racing Festival at the end of October. Visitors can attend a racecourse breakfast on the club terrace while watching the horses exercise before the races. Choose between seats in a grandstand box or among the crowd in the course enclosure to watch the races.
The Festspielhaus, which opened in 1998, is Europe's second largest opera house. Internationally acclaimed for its acoustics, the auditorium seats 2,500 people; a variety of musical entertainment is offered year-round, including opera, ballet and concerts. The building's facade was once the entrance to the historical rail station.
The Friedrichsbad Bathhouse, also called the Roman-Irish Bath, opened over 100 years ago and has since pampered any guest looking for relaxation in its thermal mineral waters. Modesty is left at the door; patrons experience the regimen nude. Men and women are mostly separated, though the bathhouse offers three "mixed" pools. Admission gets patrons three hours in the baths. If you want extra massages or scrubs, you can pay a little more at the door. The baths include hot and cold pools, warm and hot air baths, silent rooms and saunas.
Museum Frieder Burda, on Lichtentaler Allee in Baden-Baden, is entirely naturally lit and houses over 500 works of art. Famous works include a selection from Pablo Picasso, German expressionists Max Beckmann and August Macke and German post-war artist Gerhard Richter.
