Baden bei Wien, Lower Austria

There are several places called Baden in German-speaking parts of Europe. To distinguish itself from the others, this particular Baden often uses the unofficial name ‘Baden bei Wien’ (Baden near Vienna). It is not actually that close to Vienna—it lies some 25km to the south—but there is a special tram line which links the two.

The photo at the top shows Baden’s main square and the two below were also taken there.

The monument in the middle of the square is a ‘plague column’. They are common in this region and were erected as memorials to those who died of the plague and as expressions of gratitude for divine intervention by those who survived it. This one relates to an outbreak in 1713. The white building on the left of the shot is Baden’s town hall.

The verb ‘baden’ means ‘to bathe’ and there are 14 hot springs in the area of the town. In common with many other spa towns, Baden has a casino—which is pictured below.

There are also several nice parks here, like the ‘Kurpark’ where the photo below was taken.

The park contains various memorials and sculptures relating to famous musicians. The one shown below depicts Joseph Lanner and Johann Strauss, who apparently performed here frequently in the 1820s and 1830s.

The fountain in the next picture is the ‘Undinebrunnen’. It is located on the edge of the Kurpark and was commissioned in 1903 to celebrate the completion of a new water supply system. The story behind the different elements of the sculpture is quite complicated, but you can find a summary and further links HERE.

The ‘Doblhoffpark’ was once part of the grounds of a castle, which has now been turned into an upmarket hotel.

Its rose garden is the largest in Austria and features 30,000 rose bushes of 800 different varieties.

Beethoven was a frequent visitor to these parts. During several summers in the 1820s he resided in the house below. According to a plaque above the door he composed large parts of his Ninth Symphony here during his last stay.

The final photo was taken just along from there. I wonder whether this is quite close to what Beethoven would have seen on a stroll through the town.