Baden

Baden's springs are the hottest and most mineral-rich in Switzerland, emerging at about forty-seven degrees, and they have been used since the Romans, who called the settlement Aquae Helveticae. The town was a fashionable European spa in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, then declined; the historic bath quarter stood largely closed for decades until a new complex by Mario Botta opened in 2021, returning public bathing to the site. Above the old town stand the ruins of Stein castle, blown up in 1712, and a covered wooden bridge crosses the Limmat. Baden is also where Brown, Boveri and Cie was founded in 1891, and the industrial history is covered in the town museum.

What you actually see

• The hottest springs in Switzerland - about 47 degrees, used since Roman times.
• A Botta bath house of 2021 - public bathing returned to the historic quarter.
• Stein castle ruins - blown up in 1712, above the old town.
• A covered wooden bridge - crossing the Limmat below the town.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The new baths are busy and charge spa prices. Much of the old spa quarter is still being redeveloped. The modern town is industrial. It is close enough to Zurich to be busy at weekends.

Nearby

Vindonissa and Konigsfelden are west; Zurich is a short train ride east.