Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/753864
café. And there is plenty of space for music festivals and the Christmas market, for this is an all-season destination, with dramatic foliage in the fall, followed by cross-country skiing and cosy fireplaces in winter. In the Kurhaus, the Casino, which Mar- lene Dietrich called the most beautiful in the world, inspired Dostoyevsky, critically in debt, to write his novel, The Gambler. The decor is Belle Époque excess, with gilt- framed mirrors, crystal chandeliers, cherub statues, vermillion carpets and roulette tables that have been spinning for 250 years. I am not tempted. I'm placing my chips on a sure bet: the Baden-Baden healing waters and the wine. WINTER 2016/2017 DREAMSCAPES 47 TRAVEL PLANNER For more information on all there is to see and do in Baden-Baden, visit baden-baden.de. DS RESTAURANTS When it comes to restaurants, the bar is high here, so it goes without saying that restaurants use local produce whenever possible. The salads are exceptional, with a variety of fresh lettuce. And you have to try the Black Forest cake. So with that in mind, here are a few to check out: Le Jardin de France, Lichtentaler Strasse: This one Michelin-star restaurant serves traditional French cuisine and lighter fare in summer. Weinstube Badreit, Kuferstrasse: A favourite with the locals, this moderately priced restaurant is in an ivy-covered court- yard tucked away off a narrow street. Try the duck foie gras on walnut bread with lettuce dressed in a cherry balsamic. And do not miss the Mauftachen, a large ravioli dumpling stuffed with meat and spinach in a bath of herbed bouillon. Brenners Park-Restaurant, Schillerstrasse: With two Michelin stars, this restaurant— and its neighbour, the Wintergarten— offer fine cuisine in an elegant atmosphere facing the Lichtentaler Allee. Café Koenig, Lichtentaler Strasse: Franz Liszt and Leo Tolstoy were customers in this charming café that has been around for 250 years. The chocolate counter sells all manner of delectables, from truffles to chocolate-covered nuts. WINE TASTING Weingut Schloss Neuweier: Less than 20 minutes by cab from Baden-Baden, this terraced winery welcomes visitors to its tasting rooms and wine cellar dating from 1266. Owner and director Robert Schatzle is especially proud of his Maurwein, or wall wine, where the wall of granite and volcanic ash com- bine to give the wine a fine mineral quality as well as notes of citrus and tropical fruit. Schatzle has travelled the world and thinks his wines are competitive. "We didn't realize what we had, but the preju- dice against German wines is lower now." On the verdant grounds, a 12 th -century castle was renovated in 2005 and hosts overnight guests and diners. A decade ago the restaurant earned a Michelin star. HOTELS Hotel Dorint Maison Messmer, Werderstr: Elegant and modernized, with amenities such as chair-level plugs for computers and phones, this hotel boasts a super location across from the Casino and Theatre and around the corner from the Lichtentaler Allee. Heliopark Bad Hotel zum Hirsch, Hirschstrasse: Records show this oper- ated as a hostel and bathhouse in the 1300s. Renovated through the centuries, it strikes an ideal balance between its art nouveau interiors and up-to-date amenities like free Wi-Fi. The Heliopark is one of only two hotels in town to have a tap for the town's thermal water—in this case it is in the large bathtub. And the two large spas are less than a 10- minute walk away.