WIESBADEN KURHAUS - CASINO
Roulette and Imperial Style at the Spa
Wiesbaden, as its name implies, was a spa town going back to the Roman days. The Kurhaus of Wiesbaden (Cure House) is the central result of this long history. Once the bath-house of the city, today is mostly a conference center for events and exhibitions, and the symbol of the German Imperial past. The Kurhouse building, with its glass topped dome and columned front built in 1907 at the height of the empire of Wilhelm II, is one of the grandest examples of Wilhelminian architecture, and its casino one of the most beautiful of its kind. Entering the magnificent foyer under the central dome with its 21 meter high copula impresses with the grandeur of the Belle Epoque.
The Wiesbaden Casino (Spielbank) is one of the oldest and most beautiful of its kind in Germany, the traditional games of Roulette, poker and American Blackjack are played under the crystal chandeliers. The casino actually now in a former wine hall has the reputation of the highest roulette odds in Europe. The slot machines are located in another building, the modern revival addition of Kurhaus-Kolonnade. The casino’s history goes back to 1771 when the Duke of Nassau-Usingen granted the first license for public card games. Royalty, politicians, poets and authors all came to Wiesbaden to try a hand at luck. The Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky was among the famed literati whom came to play Roulette. In 1865, he managed to gamble away nearly all his possessions in a one fevered binge, but as a result wrote his classic novel “The Gambler”. There is still a salon in the Kurhaus named for him. Modern guests to the casino not familiar with the rules of the roulette wheel can try a hand at practice games and demonstrations before betting the house.
Other stunning rooms in the palace scale building, now mostly empty except when used for hired out events are the Christian Zais Saal, a copy of the first Kurhaus building from 1810, the Kaiser Wilhelm Salon in Louis XV style, and the Muschelsaal in Art Nouveau style, used for banquets and exhibitions. The Friedrich von Thiersch Saal, named for the master builder of Kaiser Wilhelm II, is the concert hall and ballroom which is said to have “overwhelmed” the emperor, a rare thing for a guy who saw himself as a potential ruler of the world.
From outside, The Bowling Green, stretching out from the façade, given its name by Brits for its long stretch of grass, with cascading fountains lined by the nearby colonnade and the equally grand Staatstheater, gives the grounds an imperial scale as well. Around the building an extensive park with a bell-shaped bandstand offers a variety of possibilities for relaxation and an extraordinary setting for open-air concerts and festivals. The Kafer’S Bistro restaurant is a meeting point for business lunches, dinners or meet-ups. In summers, the sunny Casino Terrace and beer garden in the park are attractions for enjoying the grand lifestyle of imperial elegance.
Visiting Wiesbaden Kurhaus
The Kurhaus is located at the end of Wilhelmstrasse, the long main boulevard from main rail station, a fifteen minute walk. A number of events and concerts are held on an annual schedule. There is no entrance charge for the Kurhaus as it’s mostly a conference center, with the casino and restaurant the only regular public functions, though the halls and park can be roamed when no events are taking place. © Bargain
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Wiesbaden Kurhaus
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See Also:
RHEINGAU WINE MUSEUM - RÜDESHEIM
RHINE & MOSEL WINE FESTIVALS BY RAIL
HOTEL JAGDSCHLOSS KRANICHSTEIN
CHRISTMAS MARKETS – FRANKFURT RHINE-MAIN
