Traditional spa town? Far from true! Today, the historic imperial town of Baden is an oasis of rejuvenating energy boasting a vibrant cultural life! We celebrate ‘slow living’ and indulging all your senses is our goal. With the Arnulf Rainer Museum, the Baden Beethoven House and the La Gacilly Photo Festival the spa town takes its place on the international cultural stage. For four months during the summer the whole town turns into a gallery presenting an open-air display of the world’s best photographers with more than 3,000 pictures and 38 exhibitions, set against the unique backdrop of Baden’s historical architecture and beautifully laid-out gardens.
Beethoven House
Ludwig van Beethoven regularly came to Baden to bolster his health. And he was not alone! The high gentry and well-to-do burghers including many patrons of the famous composer also gathered here, as did Emperor Franz I and his family on their summer holidays. In the summer months of 1821, 1822 and 1823 Beethoven stayed at the house in the Rathausgasse 10. During these years he wrote the central parts of his Ninth Symphony.
Since the autumn of 2014, this house – the “Beethoven House” – has become home to a modern museum on Beethoven as a person and musical genius.
Visitors experience the composer’s life and work in a very different and surprising way. The Biedermeier living rooms with their original wall paintings allow a glimpse into Beethoven’s life and surroundings in Baden. In addition, the compositions created in Baden – the Ninth Symphony among them – are uniquely brought to life, visibly and audibly. Nowhere else in the world can you immerse yourself with such depth into the composer’s everyday life. The Beethoven House has become an authentic pilgrimage place for those seeking to explore all the facets of this musical genius.
The museum shop on the ground floor offers a wide range of high-quality Beethoven souvenirs and CDs.
Arnulf Rainer Museum
The sulfur springs of the former “Frauen- und “Karolinenbad” had probably already been used by the Romans. During the reconstruction of the baths in 1878, the old facade was left. When after the opening of the central “Kurmittelhaus” all municipal baths were closed, the former building of the “Frauenbad” was used as an exhibition space. In 1993/94 the old bath building was generously renovated and rebuilt and opened on November 4, 1994 with the exhibition “Künstlerhaus im Frauenbad”.
Today the Frauenbad houses the Arnulf Rainer Museum, thus uniting the architectural jewel with the world-famous artist – Arnulf Rainer.
In two exhibitions a year, monographic as well as in dialogue with contemporaries and companions, the work of the native of Baden (*1929) is presented in a multifaceted way.
Kaiserhaus
This house was built in 1792 by Baron von Gontrad. Later it came into the possession of Baron von Arnstein. Finally, on April 24, 1813, it was purchased by order of Emperor Franz I from the court czar and rebuilt into the imperial summer residence. As such it served until 1834. In the years 1916 to 1918 the last Austrian emperor, Charles I, lived here with his family. He had transferred the supreme command of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy to Baden. Monarchy to Baden. In front of this “Kaiserhaus” also took place the historically significant meeting between Emperor Wilmhelm and Emperor Karl.
