Marching into Germany around 70 A.D. after exhausting European campaigns, the Emperor Caracalla and his foot-weary soldiers were pleasantly surprised to discover the soothing comfort afforded by the waters that surged from deep below the surface of the Florentine mountains. So taken was Caracalla by the revitalising qualities of the water that in the space of a few short years the Romans had lent their engineering talents to building magnificent bathhouses on the site; taking full advantage of the natural protection provided by the Black Forest and the surrounding mountains.

The Roman's called it 'Aquae', today it is known as Baden Baden, and the thermal waters continue t be the source of much pleasure, both as a means of relaxation and for their healing qualities. For a small garrison, the ancient site has prospered beyond eve the most optimistic of Roman expectations, and today boats a magnificent array of spa and leisure facilities, included in which are the famed Caracalla Therme and the oldest casino in Europe.

While the thermal baths have always drawn people from all over Germany it wasn't until the fifteenth century that the famed healing properties of the waters of Baden Baden reached the well-heeled of Europe, when Kaiser Friedrich II came to the town for a cure and made it his Royal seat. From this point on the demand for treatment at the waters grew so overwhelming that a director had to be appointed to organise and co-ordinate the activities around the spas. By the turn of the sixteenth century a visitors tax had to be levied to raise the necessary funds needed to maintain the spas.