Baden-Baden, Unexpected Delight

My trip to Baden-Baden was all about spending time with our German-based family. However, I was pleasantly surprised that around every corner I found delightful surprises in Baden-Baden, making it a standout among my summer travels.

Read on for my travel diary on Baden-Baden, highlighting where to stay, eat, drink, and explore should you find yourself looking for a destination that is equal parts relaxing and engaging for the design-minded traveler. I am happy to report Baden-Baden is full of surprises.

The star of the show in Baden-Baden is the hotel Brenners Park. Brenners has been an iconic beauty for 150 years. Anton Alois Brenner purchased the building at auction in 1872. For fifteen decades the grand hotel has remained in the hands of just two owning families. Brenners is the heart of this historic spa town, having played host to a menagerie of famous fans over the years, including Frank Sinatra and Paul Getty.

When you are inside the hotel, you can feel the precise attention to detail around every corner. We particularly enjoyed walking around the grounds, swimming in the pool, and grabbing a night cap in the hotel bar. The architecture and interior design was so beautiful, I could have spent hours exploring every detail.

Outside of Brenners, the surprises of Baden-Baden continued! If you know me, you know that I love a good gin cocktail every so often. I knew Monkey 47 gin is from the Black Forrest, but while in Baden-Baden I discovered a new favorite gin company, also local to the Black Forrest: Boar Gin.

The Boar distillery is the highest award-winning gin distillery in the world. What makes it unique is the ingredients local to the Black Forrest that infuses the gin, including Black Forrest truffles and natural spring water from a farm spring located deep in the mountain 390 m above sea level. Lucky for me, Boar gin is widely available for purchase here at home, and it is my new favorite gin thanks to our Baden-Baden visit.

Restaurant Ebanat and Kopp Winery were two of the standouts of our meals while in Baden-Baden. Ebanat’s chef Stefan Schmidt prioritizes sustainable, seasonal ingredients, the perfect pairing to the Kopp wines.

Last but very much not least, I discovered jewelry designer, Otto Jakob’s studio in the Black Forrest. At 17 years old Otto Jakob began to teach himself to make jewelry. Inspired by the magic and artistic power of Etruscan, Celtic and Hellenic masterpieces, he also he studied painting with Georg Baselitz. The magnificence of Otto’s designs cannot be understated, you simply have to see it to beleive how brilliant they are.