Introducing Baden Bei Wien

With its sulphurous mineral springs (lending it an egglike smell in parts) and its lush green parks, gardens and woods, this spa town on the eastern fringes of the Wienerwald is a picturesque anomaly. Baden has a long history of receiving notable visitors; the Romans came here to wallow in the medicinal waters, Beethoven blew into town in the hope of a cure for his deafness, and in the early 19th century it flourished as the favourite summer retreat of the Habsburgs. Much of the town centre is in the 19th-century Biedermeier style. Note that Baden goes into hibernation between October and March.

The centre is about 15 minutes by foot from the train station. Follow Kaiser-Franz-Joseph-Ring west and turn right into Wassergasse.