I find myself attracted to Baden Baden

Well, I really enjoy Baden-Baden, have been many times and hope for more visits in the future. One vote Baden-Baden.

any recommendations on other German towns that have similar attributes to Baden Baden (elegant buildings, nice walks, scenic surroundings etc).

Many towns that contain the term "Bad". The three that remind me the most of it are Bad Homburg near Frankfurt, Bad Kissingen in Franconia, and Bad Dürkheim near Mannheim. All essentially served the same purpose in the 19th century, and all have much of the same features (baths, Kurpark,casino, bling boutiques, fine restaurants, and a castle ruin or two). Wiesbaden and Aachen both have all of these things as well, but are much larger cities in their own right.

Neither Oberstdorf nor Garmisch-Partenkirchen are officially designated as a "Bad" town, but they have all of the same. Plus the Alps.

I imagine that Erding will someday become Bad Erding. However, unlike all the others, Erding's massive Therme sits well outside of the town's historic core.

I found Baden-Baden underwhelming, but was surprisingly charmed by Bad Reichenhall near the alps. It has exactly what you describe, but you're so close to so many other great sites with much more dramatic scenery than the Schwartzwald.

It is lovely to see you back on the Helpline, Sarah.

Thanks Nigel! Came here to do some research for our upcoming trip to Normandy. We have a brand new Mini Cooper Clubman and are going to drive that thing all over Europe!

rob, I liked BB too. Pleasant & pretty. Just did not look like a good base from which to visit Black Forest, which I think many people assume it is.

Mini Cooper Clubman

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Hi,

I think your time would be better spent by skipping Baden Baden, go to Bad Ems for that sort of place or near Baden Baden to Rastatt. Both Bad Ems and Rastatt are historically connected, if you're looking for that.

We love love love Baden Baden. First of all it was the last stop on our trip which makes a difference. I would not want to start a trip fresh here. But we were road weary and ready to relax. The baths were the perfect ending (and great adventure that we still talk about). It rained and rained while we were there so we unexpectedly went to a exhibit on Marc Chagall that was in town and because of that became great fans of his work. My husband has his first (and far from last) pork knuckle here. And we sat in a pub and enjoyed each other and made friends with the regulars which led us to meet the coolest old dude ever. He told us "don't waste your time here - this is where sick people and old people come to die - go to Paris!" And though we followed his advice eventually - we will be back. We had a great time.

My wife and i visited Baden Baden for just one night on our 2006 Germany trip, and we enjoyed it a lot. Not every stop on an itinerary has to carry profound historical or cultural importance, I always say. We found the Friedrichsbad baths very enjoyable and the town was pleasant to just walk around in.

Thanks for suggestions everyone. Of the other towns mentioned, I like the look of Bad Kissingen. Also, its in a nice strategic location for visiting other places like Wurzburg.