My son just turned a big TEN this
summer, gone are the years of single digits. It’s a major milestone, feeling
less like a child and more like a teenager; rather a TEN-AGER. Beginning of
some emotionally fragile years, aspiring adulthood; yet in the need of care and
protection. My husband and I wanted to do something special for him this year.
We decided to take him on an international holiday and bring in his birthday overseas,
just the three of us (Family bonding time u see). The criteria’s had changed;
now fun meant more adventure, adrenaline pumping activities, sports and friends
(who goes on a holiday without friends??)
I guess planning a trip with one child
is lot easier than to plan a trip with two or more children (more kids more
choices). Finally after a lot of research and brainstorming, we managed to list
down a certain key factors that would cater to his interests and yet make it an
exciting family fiesta. Having taken our last trip in Asia itself, we nailed down
on Europe.
Our First destination happened to be
Germany; Baden-Baden.
Almost 1.5 hour drive from the
Frankfurt International Airport (Germany) is Baden-Baden, a picturesque and
classy town located in the southern region of the famous Black Forest area of
Germany. Apart from its elegantly curated landscapes, this town is famous for
its world class thermal spas. A culture that evolved thousands of years ago
under the Romans has still retained its popularity. This stylish town has
something to offer to every age group, fascinating architecture, Casino, parks,
gardens, sports, churches and castles. One can experience a horse-drawn
carriage ride and enjoy the breathtaking surroundings, or try ones luck at
Germany’s oldest Casino, or maybe take the kids to a cultural music or dance
event (A great way to soak up a different culture)
Baden-Baden with Kids:
So, Keeping our budding teen’s
interests in mind, this is what our Baden-Baden itinerary looked like:
Day 1:
MerkurBergbahn-
Address: Merkuriusberg
2, 76530 Baden-Baden, Germany
Hours: Open daily 10AM–10PM
Prices: For a variety of
combination tickets confirm on http://www.stadtwerke-baden-baden.de/merkur-bergbahn/oeffnungszeiten_tarife.php
How to get there: We drove up there, but you could take bus 204
or 205 from the main city center. In case you take a bus, ask the driver to
give you a combination return ticket that covers the funicular too. There’s
plenty of parking for cars and private buses next to the funicular station. We
saved a few bucks at some places as kids under 10 years were free. (And guess
what...my son was turning 10 in a fortnight!)
MerkurBergbahn has two funicular trains that work
simultaneously, in 6 minutes the funicular takes you up an extremely steep and
forested slope, to a 668 meter high summit, The Merkur. It was really cool to
see these technically advanced machines operate without a driver. It was a little windy up there (don’t forget
to carry light jackets), but had a glorious view of the city.
This
beautifully landscaped paradise for hikers and Para gliders also has a restaurant 'Merkurstuble" open daily 10 am to 6 pm, a
barbeque area, few deckchairs where we could unwind, a playground with swings
and slides, and a picnic spot too. Apart from all these facilities, an elevator
in the Merkurtrum Tower takes you further 23 meters high to a viewing deck that
offers a breathtaking panoramic view of Baden-Baden, the
Black Forest, the Murgtal, the Rheinebene and the Vosges.
Strasbourg (France):
After coming down the Merkur, we decided to visit Strasbourg in
France. A 60 minute drive via A5 (towards Basel), this capital city of the
Grand Est Region sits by the German Border. Strasbourg boasts of being the
first town in France to be listed UNESCO World Heritage. The city which lies on
the Grande Île in the River
Ill, parallel to the River Rhine, can be explored by foot or by bicycle. We
strolled around the fascinating city exploring the city’s main sites and
monuments. Also saw The Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of
Strasbourg, also known as Strasbourg Minster. We enjoyed my favorite “Le Petite
France”. The old French quarter lined up with beautiful rustic
half-timbered houses. This charming old district of Strasbourg once dwelled fishermen,
millers and tanners. We happened to witness a
handsomely dressed couple carrying out a pre-wedding shoot on the famous Pont
du Faisan swing bridge.
After and exhausting but
intriguing day we drove back to our Baden-Baden apartment.
Day 2:
Europa Park
Europa Park
Day 2 was full of adrenaline
rush. We visited the famous “EUROPA PARK”. Europa Park is one of Germany’s
biggest theme parks. (Oh! Incase visiting Berlin?? Just recently there is a new
indoor park opened up close to Berlin, you might wanna check that out too!)
Address: Europapark-Strabe 2 Rust, Baden Wuerttembeg, Germany.
Hours: Summers -
Open every day from 9 am to 6pm.
Winters –
Open every day from 11 am to 7 pm.
Tickets
and Other Details: http://www.europapark.de/en/info/opening-hours?from[value][date]=01.06.2017&to[value][date]=01.07.2017
How
to get there: It took us
roughly about 60 minutes via A5 in a car but, by train it takes about 2 hours
and requires 3 train changes.
This
huge sprawling theme park, lying between the Black Forest and the Vosages is a
must. The highly recommended park was exactly what we needed to get my sons
adrenaline gushing. The theme park offered rides, shows, attractions and
eateries for all ages. The Authur Ride was a big hit with us.
Day
3:
Caracalla Thermae Spa
·
Address: Roemerplatz 1, 76530, Baden-Baden, Baden-
Wurttemberg, Germany
Timings: Open
8am to 10pm
Tickets: For current rates go on - http://www.carasana.de/de/caracalla-therme/
How to get there: Walking distance from the city center.
After
being pooped out from the previous day’s theme park, we finally decided it was
time to melt away our fatigue and sores in the famous Caracalla Thermal Spa. How
I wished I could stay there forever! This was the supreme highlight of our trip
for me. The Caracalla Thermae is known worldwide for its thousands of liters of
healing spring water. This sprawling Thermae has various indoor and outdoor marble
pools, with massage jets and currents. There
is a stone grotto with a soothing warm waterfall, just sitting under it felt
like bliss. The spring water is known for its healing properties as it contains
some amounts of sodium chloride and minerals like, zinc, copper, magnesium,
manganese and more. All of which work wonders for curing our body’s skin
ailments, cardiovascular system, the respiratory system and the digestive
system. The spa also has steam and sauna rooms, a hammam room, a sun bathing
lawn, and a stone grotto.
They
have ample of parking space and don’t forget to show your parking ticket at the
counter to waiver of the parking charges. The spa also includes a small
restaurant/café, and a store in case you have forgotten to bring your requirements.
After
coming out of the spa totally rejuvenated and as completely new people, we
strolled around the city center, it was fascinating to see the elevating human statues (its amazing how they can stand there for hours at a stretch!), and later headed to the Lichtentaler Allee.
Lichtentaler
Allee
The Lichtentaler Allee is a beautiful 2.3 kilometer no car, strolling boulevard along the river Oos. With free WiFi this avenue has some splendidly landscaped gardens, and there are lovely fairy tale bridges every few meters on the river Oos. These turn out to be amazing backdrops for photography lovers. It’s a treat to see some elegant mansions along the allee. One can skate, bicycle or walk, perfect for picnics too. The Allee also has a Museum which summons the history of Baden-Baden (Free entry on Sundays). If visiting in the month of March do not miss the famous Rose Society Garden, which is painted with all the varieties of Roses possible.
Apart from all that is mentioned some more
places to visit are the famous Kurhaus Casino, The Theater and The Modern
Museum Frieder Burda.
Bringing you to the end of our amazing
weekend in Baden-Baden, Germany, Can’t wait to share about our next destination.
If you enjoyed reading about our Baden-
Baden
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Do come back for more such informative blogs
and experiences.
Coming up soon is a blogpost on our next destination with kids.
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