220m. 23000 inhabitants. In Baden, 25km south of Vienna, culture and oldestablished Austrian traditions combine with the magic of nature. Due to the beneficial effects of its sulphurthermal springs (up to 36°C) ithas been a place of recuperation and cure treatments for 2000 years. This curecongresswine town lies at thefoot of the vineyards and the Viennese woods, the last foothills of the Eastern Alps as well as on the fringeof the Pannonic Lowlands. Due to its romantic location and original character with its old townscape and Biedermeier atmosphere, Baden became a wellloved holiday resort of the Austrian Habsburg emperors (summer residence 1803-1864). Beethoven wrote his "9th Symphony" here and Mozart's "Ave Verum" was performed for thefirst time. Emperor Franz I, Arch-Duke Karl, Marie-Louise (wife of Napoleon), the Duke of Reichsstadt, Metternich, Gentz, Fanny Eissler, Schwind, Grillparzer, Beethoven, Schubert, Lanner, Strauss, Millöcker, Zeller and Komzak spent many summers behind the classical facades of Baden, a town trulyworth experiencing. The spiritof these past times can still be felt today, lending Baden a special atmosphere. Baden offers: operettas heldin summer in open air arena (from the end of June to middle of September), days devoted to the works of Beethoven (beginning of October), town theatre, symphony concerts, open air concerts, museums, famous spa park asstarting point for hikes into the Helenental/Viennese woods, through vineyards, woods and meadows and to ruins, spa centre, thermal open air and indoor swinming pool, gambling casino, trotting races, large variety of entertainments, sights, cinemas, comfortable wine taverne serving new wines, bars, dance halls, riding, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, bicycling paths, fitness track, bowling, shooting, minigolf, gymnastic ballet school, skatingrink. Well worth visiting in Autumn for the grape harvest and grape cures, or in June when the roses bloom. Ideal for excursions: Vienna, Puszta on Lake Neusiedl, high mountains of Rax and Schneeberg, hunting castleof Mayerling, monastery of Heiligenkreuz, grottos, Castle Laxenberg.