I arrived in Baden Baden after a 40 minute bus ride from Sinzheim. I purchased a Deutschland ticket for 58 euro that allows unlimited bus, train, and tram rides for the month. Makes it so easy!
I first walked around the old city center and found a place to unload some clothes that would make my pack lighter (I had purchased some other clothes, and purposefully took some clothes with me I would possibly want to get rid of.)
While walking through town, I noticed some brass markers in the sidewalk in front of houses. These are called Stolperstein (stumbling stone). They are a decentralized memorial of those killed in the Nazi Holocaust that are embedded in the daily life and mark the last t known chosen residence of the victims.
And the residence they lived in….
Of course I also found the Christmas market and noticed a castle far to the distance.
First things first. Finding something to eat and drink. I had some delicious potato noodles with sauerkraut and speck, called Schupfnudeln mit Sauerkraut.
I did try some sweets but resisted buying anything, instead buying some sausage made from water buffalo.
I also tried some Feuerzangen bowle. It is a hot drink made from spiced red wine over which a sugarloaf, sugar cube (Zuckerhut), soaked in rum is placed on a grate (“Zange”).The rum-soaked sugar is set on fire, melts, and drips caramelized sweetness into the wine. Here they use a mug with a separate area for the cube to melt into the wine. You then push the cube into the wine to melt.
Some pictures of the Christmas market.
I decided to tackle the hour walk uphill to get to the castle.
The castle ruins in Baden-Baden is called Hohenbaden Castle or Altes Schloss (“Old Castle”). It was built around 1100 by the Margraves of Baden, the ruling noble family and was the castle for the family until the late 1400’s. As a regional power, the castle was expanded into a fortress during that time.
In 1479, the Margraves moved their residence to the town below. That structure was called Neues Schloss (new castle) and the old castle still remained occupied without political power. In 1599, a power destroyed the structure but the ruins are a very popular site today or romantic era castles.
On the way back, I noticed the spring that many would stop and fill their jugs.
The new castle was at the bottom of the mountain. It was closed, but it would be wonderful to tour as well if possible.
After all that walking I decided to go to the bus stop directly instead of returning to the Christmas market (and the possibility of sweets!)
It was a beautiful day in Baden-Baden.
