Friedrichsbad Baden-Baden

Friedrichsbad opened in 1877 inside a Renaissance-style building on the site of former Roman baths, and it still runs on the same idea: a multi-stage Roman-Irish bathing circuit through steam rooms, showers, thermal pools and a domed caldarium modeled on Rome's Caracalla and Diocletian baths. The central dome hall, 17.5 meters high and ringed by eight arches on Corinthian columns, is the architectural centerpiece, along with hand-painted majolica tiles and detailed shower fittings throughout.

A day pass costs 39 euros and covers bathing shoes, towels, hair and body shampoo, body lotion for use inside the baths, and tea in the reading room afterward. Nothing else needs to be brought along. Private suites can be booked separately for couples through a dedicated reservation line, and treatments are offered for couples as well.

The baths are open daily from 9:00 to 22:00, with last entry three hours before closing; hours shift around Christmas and New Year's. Staff work in German, English and French. Parking is available at the adjacent Bädergarage, with a discounted rate for bath guests, and a prepaid VIP chip system offers tiered discounts (10 to 20 percent) on admission to both Friedrichsbad and the nearby Caracalla Therme.

Baden-Baden was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021 as part of the "Great Spa Towns of Europe," recognition tied to the city's 18th- to early 20th-century spa heritage, of which Friedrichsbad is one of the defining buildings.