The most famous and serious attraction of Baden-Baden is, undoubtedly, its world-famous Kurhaus (the one that Kurhaus Baden-Baden). It houses an equally famous casino, where Dostoevsky once lost all his property and his wife's property, after which he (at the request of his wife) quit playing forever. Tolstoy, Turgenev and almost all the European nobility of the 19th century also visited it.
The oldest part of the building was built in 1824, and immediately as a casino, its creator was looking for a new place after gambling houses were banned and closed in Paris . The building was designed by the famous architect Friedrich Weinbrenner. Later, two wings were added to its construction, and the building was surrounded by a walking park. Now most of the room is still occupied by a casino, and besides it there is also a concert and conference halls.
Building
Main building (it's in center) is built in neoclassical style. Later parts - two wings with galleries, one created in the late 19th century, and the other - at the beginning of 20. The building as a whole is very simple and very elegant. The building is surrounded by a pleasant park, and inside there is a wonderful winter garden.
Inside the building it is decorated in the style of the French royal palaces of the 17th and 18th centuries, respectively - everything is very lavish, festive and entirely in gilding. Salon "Pompadour" is decorated in the style of Madame Pompadour, and one of the salons repeats the decor of one of the halls of Versailles. There are several ways to see the building inside:
Visits
This tradition was born when Baden-Baden was " summer capital of Europe "and the whole noble and wealthy aristocracy from all over the world came here. The aristocracy has disappeared, but the concert tradition has remained. The hall is rather conservative, almost one classic sounds here - even jazz is quite rare - but always in a stunning performance.
The second option is that an adult tourist can go to a casino. It consists of two parts: a regular casino and a hall with slot machines. The ticket to the main hall costs 5 EUR, to the machines - 1 EUR. The visitor must be over 21 years of age, carry a passport, mandatory dresses (for women - evening or half-evening, for men - a suit and a tie) - the dress code here is quite tough, although the slot machine will be allowed in clothes and simpler (not evening, but decent, not jeans). It's not necessary to play at all, you can just look at the building.
It's worth noting that if you decide to still play, then it's important to remember that nobody will return you money here. Yes-yes, you are a reasonable adult person, but the roulette of many of these for money "divorced." It's not worth waiting for a terrible elite at a ticket price of 5 EUR
The third option is there are tours around the building (in a group with a guide), the cost is 7 EUR, duration is 25 minutes (daily in non-game time, beginning at 9:30 am from April to October and at 10:00 from November to March). Unlike the other two options, a tour can be arranged with the child.
Practical information
Address: Baden-Baden, Kaiserallee, 1 (Kurhaus), Casino Baden -Baden. The building is located in the old part of the city, get here on foot or by car (there is a large underground parking here)
The main hall is open from 14:00 to midnight
All prices are given for January 2015
 |
| Kurhaus in Baden-Baden at night |
 |
| Kurhaus, Baden-Baden |
 |
| Kurhaus in Baden-Baden in the winter |
 |
| Gallery, Kurhaus in Baden-Baden |
 |
| Interior, Kurhaus in Baden-Baden |