Caracalla Therme & Aqua Aurelia:

Step inside the Caracalla Therme and you notice the change straight away. Soft light, quiet sounds, the gentle movement of water. The stairway to the entrance area rises gently — and the feeling of arriving follows naturally.

What sets the spa apart is the way water, warmth and space work together. Inside, generous pools at different temperatures. But the real draw for many is the outdoor area in the green — with a current channel and a waterfall running from the rocks.

The natural sauna area rounds things off, along with the thermal water itself. Its healing properties stretch back over 2,000 years, and the high mineral content is not only soothing but can also bring relief for conditions such as rheumatism.

The best part? After your visit you don't need to go anywhere. No car, no stress. You walk back to your room, throw a towel over your wet hair, head to your suite, perhaps take a short nap or read a few more pages of your book.

And those who have booked one of our suites with a view of the park can even see the Caracalla Therme from bed — whether looking forward to the visit or looking back on a wonderfully restful morning.

That is how a visit to the Caracalla Therme becomes more than a spa day. It becomes a small, restful step away from everyday life — directly connected to your stay at Aqua Aurelia.

The Caracalla Therme is more than a thermal bath. It is a place with different zones, each suited to a different mood — whether you want to move, float or simply be still.

Inside, generous pools at different temperatures — from very cold to properly hot. The large, terraced main pool is good for swimming, while the cold plunge pool wakes the circulation. Ideal for alternating between warm and cold and giving the body a fresh start.

The outdoor area is something special — set in the green, with sun terraces, open lawns, a warm pool with current channel and a particularly hot pool with a waterfall running straight from the rock. You rarely find something like this, and lying there listening to the water is as good as it sounds.

For sauna visitors: The separate sauna area has a wide range, though we recommend checking the website beforehand for any themed or women-only days. It is worth it — sometimes there are musical sauna sessions or special infusions.

If you are looking for complete stillness and want to move through different stations at your own pace, the Friedrichsbad is the one. It sits right next to the Caracalla Therme — smaller, more reduced, without distraction. There you follow a set sequence like a ritual: room by room, station by station.

No phone, no book, no conversation — just full focus on yourself. Ideal if you want to find stillness or find it hard to switch off. And for those who prefer to wear swimwear: there are now set days when that is possible.

The Caracalla Therme, on the other hand, is more sociable. If you would rather relax with a friend, have a chat, or enjoy a light bite in the restaurant, this is the right place. The spa is livelier without being loud — it has room for both: retreat and company.

Which one when you want the deepest rest? For complete stillness, focus and retreat, the Friedrichsbad is ideal. If you want to relax but also read a book, glance at your phone or simply be in a livelier setting, the Caracalla Therme suits you well. Many guests choose both — depending on their mood and the time of day.

Start with a light breakfast at our hotel — perhaps just some fruit or yoghurt. Then throw on a bathrobe, grab your bag and slippers and walk through the direct access to the spa. No stress, no weather, no changing.

Once there, your own spa day begins: inside or outside, warm or cold, all to yourself or together. Perhaps with a massage too — many guests book a hot-stone or Dorn-Breuß treatment beforehand.

Tip: Book well in advance — they are very popular.
After two to three hours — when body and mind are pleasantly spent — head back to the hotel. Perhaps enjoy breakfast with us (served until 11:00, at weekends until 11:30), dry your hair, apply your skincare, take a breath. Our bathrooms are designed for more than a quick wash — with underfloor heating, mosaics, stucco details and warm light. You will feel at home straight away.

And after that? Perhaps a short nap, a walk through the Kurpark, a visit to the old town, or — for those drawn to history — a look at the Roman bath ruins.
In the former soldiers' bath you can still see the footprints of a cat that walked through fresh cement some 2,000 years ago. Small stories like these stay with you.

The Caracalla Therme is generally open daily — but it is always worth checking the current times. Around Christmas there may be closures, and occasionally an area is being renovated, such as the outdoor section. Our tip: take a quick look at the spa's website before your visit — or simply ask us. At our reception we are happy to help and can give you the latest information.

Last admission is usually around 20:00 — worth keeping in mind if you prefer an evening visit.

A real advantage for our hotel guests: more time for the same price. Thanks to the Kurkarte (the spa tax card we give you), you get a welcome bonus: buy a 2-hour ticket and you automatically receive 3 hours. More time to relax — at no extra cost. Just ask at our reception, we are happy to explain how it works.
When is the best time for your visit?

Our recommendation: Monday to Friday, ideally between 8 and 11 in the morning or in the evening. At these times it is usually quiet — ideal for enjoying the warm water in peace.
Less ideal are Friday or Saturday evening and Sunday morning — that is when it gets noticeably busier. Many locals and weekend visitors come to the spa at exactly those times.

As a hotel guest, however, you have the advantage of being completely flexible. Start your Monday morning at eight o'clock in an almost empty spa — that is a treat few visitors get.

No queuing:
Your tickets, ready and waiting

You don't need to queue yourself. We make sure you receive your tickets with no fuss. Just take them and walk straight into the spa. No waiting, no standing in line. Especially welcome when it is busy.

Your freedom, our approach:
Flexible tickets instead of fixed packages

We deliberately don't bundle room and spa entry into rigid packages — and there is a good reason: everyone relaxes differently. Some want three hours of complete quiet in the Friedrichsbad, others want to visit the Caracalla Therme twice a day for two hours each time.

With us you choose your tickets flexibly on the spot — at any time of day, as often as you like. That gives you the freedom to shape your stay the way it suits you best.

The Caracalla Therme is open to children from the age of seven. This is mainly down to the water temperature — the hot water can be too much for younger children. But even for children of seven and over, the same holds: the spa isn't a water park — it's a place to relax.

Most children understand that very well, though. And often they find it genuinely exciting: the hot pool, the cold plunge pool, the waterfall outside. Who knows — it might even become a new family ritual.

The Caracalla Therme is partly accessible. Because of the way the building is laid out, though, there are a few things worth knowing in advance — so your visit stays relaxed, whether you come with a wheelchair, a rollator or other mobility restrictions. Here's what matters most.

Changing rooms and washrooms.
The bathing area is accessible in parts. For wheelchair users, there are two dedicated changing cubicles — you collect the key at the ticket desk. Subject to availability, two spacious family cubicles are also on hand.
In the bathing area there is also a separate accessible washroom with a large shower and WC, with grab rails and a shower stool. It is reserved for guests with a severe-disability card.

Getting into the water.
We'll be honest here: every pool is reached by stairs with a handrail only — going into the water in a wheelchair isn't possible.
For the large indoor pool, though, there is a pool lift. You book it at least two working days in advance directly with the Caracalla Therme, by email to info@carasana.de. Whether it's ready on your preferred day depends on staffing and scheduling. It is used only at the large indoor pool, you'll need one or two companions to get in, and it is operated by the spa's staff. For the transfer itself, for legal reasons, only your own companion may assist.

Sauna.
The sauna area is only partly wheelchair-accessible — it is reached by a spiral staircase. With a companion, a visit is generally possible.

Wheelchairs on site.
Subject to availability, the spa provides two of its own wheelchairs for use inside the building. For hygiene reasons, private wheelchairs stay outside the bathing area.
If none of the spa's wheelchairs happens to be free, or one doesn't suit your needs, you may use your own — it just needs a quick disinfection before the bathing area. Simply speak to the staff at the ticket desk when you arrive.

Companion and admission.
Companions aged 18 and over, accompanying guests who hold a severe-disability card marked "B", enter free. International cards with a comparable marking (for example "besoin d'accompagnement") are also accepted. The guest with the severe-disability card pays the regular admission.

Getting there and parking.
The spa car park has several accessible parking spaces. From there and from the main entrance, you reach the lifts on the level, and they take you comfortably to the ticket area.

And wherever you need us, we're here.
Our own house is accessible: on the level, with a lift to every floor, easy to use with a wheelchair or rollator. For this we hold the official "Reisen für Alle" certification (Germany's "Travel for All" scheme, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) — everything was measured precisely: door widths, entrances, parking spaces, the way to the nearest bus stop and more. And wherever you need a hand — with luggage, at breakfast or on the way to the spa — we're glad to help.
Many guests with reduced mobility have been coming to us for years, because they feel well looked after.

Our own underground car park is available to you at 23,50 € per night. In high season, when things get tight, you'll find the Vincenti garage directly opposite — similar in price and just a few steps away. And to load and unload, you can of course pull up right at the hotel at any time.

The Caracalla Therme is not only a place of rest — it's part of a story that reaches back over 2,000 years. It owes its name to Emperor Caracalla, who, according to tradition, is said to have founded the soldiers' baths in Baden-Baden. Even then, people knew: the water here has particular powers.
What many don't know: Baden-Baden was once called "Aquae Aureliae" — meaning something like "the golden waters". Our hotel's name comes from exactly that: Aqua Aurelia. A lovely connection that often makes guests curious — and a piece of living history you can feel with us every day.
Healing water with a history — why Baden-Baden's springs are so special.
Art and health have long gone hand in hand here. Bathing culture still shapes Baden-Baden today — from the Romans through the European high nobility of the 19th century to the guests of today. A place where people have always come to rest and gather strength.
The thermal water in Baden-Baden has an exceptionally high mineral content. In the past it was used not only for bathing but also for drinking. To this day there is the Trinkhalle, where you can taste the water directly — surrounded by striking Neoclassical frescoes that tell stories about the spring water.
Art and architecture — a thread running through the centuries.
Baden-Baden's bathing tradition has also left its mark on art. At the Museum Frieder Burda, for instance, the town appears in old paintings — with the same motifs as today: the view from the Europäischer Hof, the light over the Florentiner Berg. Baden-Baden lives its history visibly, in a very quiet way.
Roman ruins, modern spa — the baths of today.
The Caracalla Therme itself is a building from the 1970s: generous, open, bright. Right beside it stands the Friedrichsbad, a bathhouse from the imperial era, with painted domes in the Pompeian style and a fixed sequence that is almost a ritual. If you're looking for quiet, that's the place.
And then there's a phenomenon many people don't know at all: the Fettquelle. Here hot spring water bubbles straight out of the ground. In winter it's a remarkable sight — snow all around, steam rising from the paving, and the earth staying warm. On the Florentiner Berg, plants even grow that otherwise thrive only by the Mediterranean, because the ground is warmed by the thermal water.
Cat paws and statues of gods —
small stories, lasting impression.
A charming detail for history lovers: In the Roman bath ruins, right by the Friedrichsbad, you can still see the paw prints of a cat in the ground today. It walked through the still-wet cement around 2,000 years ago — and was probably shooed away by the builders just as fondly as it would be today.
And our own house is part of this story too: On the grounds where Aqua Aurelia stands today, archaeological excavations uncovered traces of the Roman past — among them, most likely, a statue of a god attributed to Mercury. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the street above our house is called Merkurstraße today.