Friedrichsbad Baden-Baden

I took the train from Frankfurt for a weekend in the Black Forest. This was the PERFECT way to relax my sore muscles after hiking. I had never been to a thermal bath spa before. This was absolutely lovely. I will definitely come back again!

This place is amazing... I spent three hours in a world of tranquillity. The facilities are fabulous, you can relax, steam, sweat, soak and swim, you lose all track of time. Once inside the building the architecture and design is outstanding. Really helpful staff, everything was explained clearly and how you follow a route around the different areas. This was my first visit to Friedrichsbad, I had previously been to the large spa next-door, but this place was amazing. I would recommend you embrace the nudity and enjoy it how the Romans used to bathe. This is now a must visit place when I am in Baden-Baden.

This is a very special place. Amazingly beautiful. I was on a tour of Thermal spas and saunas in Germany and the Netherlands and this was a highlight of the trip. The service is very friendly. The baths are beautiful. A dream to spend a few hours fully relaxing in the numerous baths and special steam rooms. Ending with a warm towel. I will be back

Top sauna/thermal experience, a lot of pools and sauna rooms the old roman style , i would suggest to take the day pass to experience all, no clothing allowed mixed genders. there is no need to be shy.

Unfortunately didn't meet expectations, maybe because it's not as nice comparing to other thermal baths I've been to. Description on the web site is not really accurate. They don't give any shower gel or shampoo. At the first stage where you have 3 showers with 2 soap dispensers you barely have any soap and this is your first impression. Sleepers they do give but I'm not sure how hygienic it is to use them, look quite old. And also people tend to take someone else's sleepers, the same happened my towel, so better to keep them close by. One pool had sharp bits at the bottom, be careful (I think stage 11). And I'm sorry but I saw a roach in the main pool (stage with swimming pool under big dome). Overall experience is nice and very relaxing (until you see a roach), rest rooms are good at the end, you feel relaxed and skin feels nice (though whole thing about body lotion, you just put cream from the dispenser in a small room). Building is beautiful but facilities are getting old and probably not very well maintained, next time I'll choose something modern.

We went on a Thursday around noon, and it was not crowded. I was checking some older bad reviews and was a bit hesitating. It turns out the worries were not necessary. We were super shy as that was our first time trying mixed-gender thermal spas. The staff was friendly and patiently explained the steps, and she told us to just relax ourselves and enjoy. The building itself was historic, so I am fine with some peeled-off tiles or only a few not functional faucets. I was a bit disappointed that the massage treatment was not available during the time we went. The atmosphere was really calm and soothing, and my skin became very smooth after!!

I had a great time here, both as a visitor to the public baths and for a private treatment. The baths are historic, but well-maintained, and the attendants are very skilled and caring.

Return visit for us (a decade later) and this time we were disappointed with the facilities that were open and available to clients. Our recollection was of bigger pools and sauna / steam areas and more options but most of our ‘stations’ were showers in between each one. Massage for 15 minutes was not worth the cost frankly. We won’t return.

What an experience. I've never done anything quite like this, and I'm eager to try it again. The baths do a nice job of combining luxury and the historical character of the original building and experience. You start off in a changing room, then move progressively though saunas, steam rooms, and thermal baths that get progressively warmer to raise your body temperature, then progressively cooler (culminating in a dunk in very cold water) to bring it back down. Along the way, you are scrubbed with a stiff brush to exfoliate your whole body. Some words to the wise. First, like many German baths, this is a coed nude bath, so be prepared for that. Second, it is not the same as the gentle pampering people may expect elsewhere. You're largely on your own in the baths, spas, and saunas, but the staff can be very businesslike as you move through the processes. Don't take it personally - they do a lot of turnover each day, and generally leave it to you to navigate the process - and you will leave feeling refreshed, relaxed, and invigorated!

Came here this past weekend with a friend. This was the first time I've been to a spa in Germany. I read up on spa etiquette here and knew that it was textile free and possibly a mixed-sex environment. We decided to drive to Baden Baden because it's known as the "spa town" in Germany. I chose to get the Luxury admission ticket which was good for 4 hours and included the soap and brush massage and cream massage (part of the 17 step Irish Roman bathing ritual). They provide everything you'll need to go through all the stations (towels, mats, slippers). I thought I would feel uncomfortable walking around completely naked but it was a norm for everyone and I had a nice relaxing time. The soap and brush massage felt so good! The relaxation room was also another one of my favorite steps. There are single-sex and mixed-sex bathing days but even on single-sex bathing days it will be mixed at stations 10 and 11. I'm already planning my next visit here in 2 weeks!

The architecture here is the cherry on top of a wonderful experience. There are beautiful mosaics and the dome in the main pool is wonderful, the pictures do not do the experience of floating in the big pool looking up at the dome justice. My husband and I went on a couples day and where a little worried about the nudity at first but our fears quickly vanished, there where plenty of other couples enjoying the experience together. Its a little confusing going through the 17 steps and they aren't are straight forward as you would like, but you'll figure it out and you'll never feel cleaner. We got the soap massage but not the lotion one and felt that this was perfect. You are still able to use lotion even if you don't get the second massage. Pro-tip: bring fresh new everything to change back into when you're done. There's also hair-dries in the locker rooms, which was helpful.

Affordable luxury - for €35 you get 3.5 hours in this Old Wold spa, plus a soap brush scrub. If you're not cool with nudity, you can go to Caracalla next door but it's less "traditional". Friedrichsbad is all naked, all the time. Honestly, after 5 seconds you really won't even care - most people are older or fatter than you and you'll never see them again anyway. You arrive and divest yourself in a locker room. My visit happened to be on a "segregated" day where men and women are separate except for 2 rooms. Most days, it's co-ed. Once you're in the buff, you go through a series of 17 stages, all well marked with recommended times and directions in English. You start with a shower (gorgeous rainfall style), then sweat in 2 dry air rooms. Then shower again, and get scrubbed down with German efficiency and thoroughness. Another shower - then to the damp sauna rooms with eucalyptus steam. Then comes a series of soaks in various pools (the best parts IMO). Finally, the freezing cold plunge if you dare - I did and it was COLD!!! Warm up with hot towels, lotion up, and get wrapped up like a mummy for some r&r. You'll emerge cleaner and more relaxed than you ever thought possible. I have bad hips and this vacation's uphill hikes had been kicking my fat ass - 3 hours here made me feel human again. My tip - you can spend as long as you want in any of the rooms as long as you stay within your allotted time. If you aren't into the the sitting around at the end, feel free to cycle back to your favorites.

Had a wonderful experience here! My boyfriend and I went for the afternoon and both loved it. I'm very glad we chose to go here instead of the more modern, run of the mill-looking place next door. Once you get used to a coed nude space, it's very freeing, and it feels like an authentic Roman bath experience. We did the basic package which included sandals, towels, and tea in the lovely resting room at the end. 25€ felt like a good deal.

It's simply beautiful, but not all the employees are. I don't mean physically, but in personality and sneers. If you don't like what you are doing for a living, go to college or don't work in the service industry. And don't talk about the guests in another language that you 'think' they don't understand. This stupid American understood what you said in Russian.

Indeed a cool place to relax but its confusing me from time to time because there is not enough explaining about the detailed process... A must stop by in Baden Baden though

Friedrichsbad is an experience that I think is worth doing if you don't have an expectation already in your head. I'm from Northern California where zen/silent experiences are often the idea. I've lived in Europe on and off for years and have finally come to the firm understanding that many public baths in the old world are very social compared to ones in the states. If you can accept that, it's sort of a joy seeing everyone (all shapes and ages) bathing together and chatting away. It's a very authentic cultural experience I would say. A couple important points: 1. I wouldn't suggest this as a first place for trying out nude bathing for the shy person. Your towel is taken away and you move through the rooms stark naked with many other people. On top of it there is a lot of logistics about the stations. It's pretty overwhelming at first. 2. There REALLY is no hot bath. Caracalla is better if you want a hot tub. 3. Insanely wonderful blasting- life changing- hot mineral showers!!! I like these because ZERO chlorine (unlike pools.) I suggest sticking entirely to the showers and alternating with the cold plunge. I went back and forth 8 times. Unless you take time to really warm up your body in these showers, you'll likely feel too cold to get into the whole thing (in winter months .) So, don't just expect them for rinsing , use them as part of the therapy. 4. Don't take the unfriendly service personally, it's a pretty exhausting job having to explain over and over again the same thing to confused tourists. Other Baden Baden spa notes: Caracalla is awesome too. They have a fabulous Italian salad there where you can add fresh grilled chicken. Sometimes finding greens while traveling is hard so I was pleased ! If you want an insane massage go to Brenner's Park Hotel and ask for Ottoman from Tunisia. There are no words to describe his massage ..... Just so incredible and worth every penny .

as spas go, Awesome. a luxury mineral hot springs in Baden-Baden on the grounds of an ancient roman-irish bath. built entirely of limestone, marble, soaring columns and glass cupolas, it looks and feels like a cathedral - a bathing tradition for over 130 years. Mark Twain: "here at the Friedrichsbad, you lose track of time within 10 minutes and track of the world within 20." less public than Caracalla, the entry is 31€/3hrs with a 10min herbal soap body-everyinch-scrub. there are 17 stations that start with a high-pressure bath, then a recline at the ornamental tiled-marbled-skylighted sauna, eucalyptus steam rooms, pools of varying heat, cold water plunge (LOVE) and rest lounge where you're wrapped like a baby. full spa services from massage, facials, thalasso to more extensive cures also available. and as you'd expect, hygienically-clean and german-efficient. the spa is mixed and completely nude (no ifs, no buts) so check your yankee prudishness at the door. no one looks. too long.

If you go to Baden-Baden, you must do a bathing experience. Friedrichsbad is the more traditional...Carcalla is the contemporary. As a historian, I tend to lean towards the traditional, so off to Friedrichsbad we ventured the first morning we were in Baden-Baden. We picked up tickets at our hotel, the Hotel Am Markt, for 2 euros less than buying them at the spa (19 euros instead of 21 euros each). We decided to skip adding the soap brush massage, but we could have added it to the bill when checking in at the spa. We went on a Tuesday, which is a mixed sex day where you can do the experience with your partner (several days a week are single sex, where men & women only meet at the big pool in the middle). We locked our things in our lockers and spent nearly 3 hours (the maximum time we were allotted) going through the steam, sauna, showers, whirlpools & baths. It was glorious! I'm glad we went on a mixed sex day though, as I might have felt stranger about the prancing around in my birthday suit by myself. After a (very) quick dip in the cold plunge tub, the towel person rubbed us dry with hot towels, sent us to lotion up, and then tucked us into the quiet room to catch a few zzzs. It is well located in the pedestrian center of town, less than 10 minutes from a majority of the center city hotels, shopping areas & the casino. There is very limited street parking in front, but there is also a small parking garage underneath. We chose to leave our car at our hotel (which was about a 2 minute walk away). A unique experience for those travelers who want to do something that they can't easily do at home! And my skin felt super awesome for several days :)

My wife and I went together and enjoyed the experience overall. We went with the luxury package that included the soap scrub and lotion massages. We were certainly relaxed by the visit and liked the old school charm. The facility requires all clients go nude, so be prepared if you're body shy or worry about that kind of thing. When compared to other spas we felt Friedrichsbad was unique, but offered more of an "assembly line spa experience". The highlights are the architecture and the thermal pools. The building is beautiful and an old one. Very classical style architecture with marble, pillars, and painted tiles throughout, and the dome over the main pool area is really special. The thermal steam rooms were comfortable, well lit and spacious. The "relaxation" rooms were also very pleasant. Some areas for improvement include how easy is to get confused about the "17 station" steps, and the rules that followed (i.e. at some point you can't wear slippers or a towel, but you wouldn't know this without a staff person telling you abruptly). The station numbers were posted with arrows to the next station, but because you sometimes have to go back from the direction you came, it feels somewhat counter-intuitive. I guess on a second visit, this would no longer be an issue! The water in the pools could have been warmer, but still pleasant and nice to soak in. The massages included queuing up, and were incredibly short and rushed - which is where the assembly line feeling sets in. I followed up with a full massage the next day and wasn't particularly impressed.

What a divine experience! In terms of thermal baths, this one is the best I have been to so far. The ambience and decor sets you back in time to the legacy of the kings who used it. It has various thermal pools with different temperatures and functions. Also 3 different steam rooms and 2 different saunas. It is a regulated experience, in that there is an order of the rooms and that is the recommended order although you can go back and forth. The attending personnel are friendly and kind. There is an offer of a brushing and soaping and also a cream massage. I did not do either. It's a nudist bath. On the day I went it was mixed - for both men and women. More men than women and I got the feeling that some guys were there to meet women. I was hungry at some point but didn't get anything to eat. In all, I would love to go back soon. I wish I lived close by and could go once a week. For a regal thermal bad experience, it's definitely the place to do. The one thing I didn't like was the newer stained glass ceilings in some of the thermal pool rooms, I felt it ruined the experience. It was more artistic in a modern sense and destroyed that feeling that you were in an ancient place. Knot that old, just since 1877.

going to the friedrichsbad was a completely delight. i had an amazing time doing it the "german way"- naked. it was 23 euros for the basic package/3 hrs, which is without the scrub(wished i did this because i heard it was amazing!) i went on the day that men and women were separated (although there is a section where they mix) and it was not crowded or awkward in anyway. i would recommend not going in large groups( with a friend or two), because it's just not the place. you go through a series of saunas and bathes that range in temperatures. you can go through all the steps again if you get done early or just choose the sauna/bathes that you liked most, which is what we did. it was a very relaxing day, and i highly recommend doing this!!

I visited both the Friedrichsbad and Caracalla spas. Other than families with children, I would definitely recommend Friedrichsbad over Caracalla. It was my first visit to each. I speak some German, but I am certainly not fluent. I went on a day when the females and males are mainly separated. The staff was friendly and were happy to explain the next step. I got off-course at one point and the staff politely pointed me in the right direction. Very, very inexpensive compared to anything in the U.S. 3+ hours for 37 Euro, including scrub down. Don't worry about the naked part - you'll get over it quickly. Beautiful interior to look at while you are avoiding eye contact : )

This spa is way over-rated and the staff is not friendly, almost rude. Try other spas in Germany.

I would give the Friedrichsbad less than one star and even take away some stars if possible. Terrible place, terrible experience. Shame on the people running this tourist sham. They have taken a very good concept and reduced it to a money making tourist trap staffed by miscreants and undesirables of the worst kind. When I seek a service offered for money, I want to encounter satisfied providers who have my best interests at heart. To put it mildlythis place blows big time.

Ridiculuously overrated and overpriced. No real Sauna, hottest water was 36C, thermal steam room was only enjoyable when standing since all the warm air gathered in the top of the room, cold water was certainly colder than 18C and not usable at all, everything else was just pools to sit in, certainly not justifying 23 Euros for the Basis package. Someone said, Bad Wildbad is far better, maybe you should check this out alternatively.

I had read of the Friedrichsbad prior to traveling to Germany this year. Although, I vacation in Germany every year, this was my first time to Baden Baden. First on my list of things to do upon arrival in this beautiful city was to take the waters at the Friedrichsbad. I was pleased that I went with a German friend who was able to help me navigate the 17 various stations throughout. I was a bit uncertain how the totally nude experience would be for my American self, but after a minute or so it seemed perfectly comfortable and certainly made sense considering the intent of the bathing experience. The inside of the structure is beautiful, extremely clean, well serviced, and very well maintained. Even though there were 17 stations, I very quickly identyified my favorites----the various saunas and the large warm soaking pools (as opposed to the cool pools). I did not partake of the brush massage, but certainly wish that I had. I enjoyed about 2 hours and would have remained the maximum 3 hours, but had other hungry friends waiting for lunch outside. The closest bathing experience that I have had in the USA was at the Greenbriar in WV and the Homestead in VA. Neither one, however, come close to the Friedrichsbad quality and value, especially in the variety of self-paced treatments or the price. I deffinitely look forward to my next visit to Germany and the Friedrichsbad, although, I may visit instead the Thermen in Aachen to compare.