Baden-Baden

Perhaps most famously known as a spa town, Baden-Baden was first settled by the Romans, who called the area Aquae, or "the waters". The exact year that the Romans arrived in the area is unknown, but some archaeologists speculate that it could have been as early as 122, with the arrival of Emperor Hadrian. With the departure of the Romans, the town settled into relative obscurity until the 7th Century, when construction on the town's church began, and by 1222, it was a fully thriving town once again. Baden-Baden regained its population and popularity as a spa town in the late 1700s and gained the official title of "Europe's summer capital" in the 1850s. Today, visitors come to Baden-Baden to hike, play golf, tour the old town—including the old and new castles—and soak in the area's restorative waters.