Baden bei Wien is a spa town about 25 km south of Vienna, set at the edge of the Vienna Woods where hot sulphur springs have drawn visitors since Roman times. The town reached its peak of fashionability in the early 19th century, when the Habsburg court spent summers here, and Beethoven composed parts of his Ninth Symphony in a house on Frauengasse — now preserved as the Beethoven House.
The Kurpark is the centrepiece — a large, well-tended park with a bandstand, famous rose garden, and paths leading into the wooded Helenental valley to the west. The town centre has an attractive Biedermeier character, with a pedestrian zone lined by cafes and pastry shops. Casino Baden, one of Austria's oldest, draws weekend visitors from Vienna. The thermal baths are worth a visit in summer. If you are staying in Vienna and want a half-day escape with thermal baths and good coffee, Baden is an easy train ride away.