Baden (Niederösterreich) 6.35

Baden, unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien, is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Located about 26km south of Vienna, the municipality consists of cadastral Baden, Braiten, Gamingerhof, Leesdorf, Mitterberg, Rauhenstein, and Weikersdorf.GeographyBaden is located at the mouth of the Schwechat River's St Helena Valley (Helenenthal) in the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) range. It takes its name from the area's 13 hot springs, which vary in temperature from 72to and contain lime sulphate. They lie for the most part at the foot of Mt Calvary (Calvarienberg; 1070ft).The highest point in the area is the Iron Gate (Eisernes Tor or Hoher Lindkogel), whose 2825ft can be ascended in about three hours.HistoryThe celebrity of Baden dates back to the days of the Romans, who knew it by the name of Aquae Cetiae or Thermae Pannonicae. Some ruins are still visible. The settlement was mentioned as Padun in a deed from 869. The nearby abbey of Heiligenkreuz's Romanesque church was constructed in the 11th century; it subsequently served as the burial place for members of the Babenberg family. The castle Rauheneck was constructed on the right bank of the river at the entrance to the valley in the 12th century; the castle Rauhenstein was built on the opposite bank at the same time. The town received its legal privileges in 1480. Although repeatedly sacked by Hungarians and Turks, it soon flourished again each time.