Cracking the Baden Source Code

During school holidays I love when we can do something fun and learn at the same time ­– activities that have a little something for everyone in the family. The Baden Source Coude, or Quellcode in German, was a great fit. On this interactive journey back in time my friend, her two girls and I get a chance to explore this charming city so close to our home in Zurich. It was a quick train ride to Baden, such an easy impromptu day trip and budget friendly too.

It was a quick train ride to Baden, such an easy impromptu day trip and budget friendly too. When we arrived, we opened the free Source Code on our phones and hurried off to find the first clue.

On the huntThen we got a “call” from Yara, who had fallen asleep at the spa and woke up in the Baden of Roman times. We hurried over to the “Big Hot Stone,” the most abundant spring from ancient times, to solve the first riddle.

The hunt took us to lots of interesting corners of Baden that we hadn’t seen before, even underground. Below the beautifully modern FORTYSEVEN Wellness Therme, we were surprised to see preserved ruins of the original thermal baths.

One of our clues led us to the “Hot Thermal Fountain,” which are free thermal baths along the river. We weren’t ready to swim just yet, so we dipped in just our fingers and toes, surprised at how warm the water was. We’ll have to come back on a cool day to really enjoy this unique experience.

Forever youngThe hunt took us to another fountain with a beautiful mosaic showing pale, sickly people entering the waters and emerging healthy. Next to the fountain, we found cups and instructions to drink the water to stay forever young. We adults were excited at the opportunity, but the strong smell of the mineral rich water was too much for the kids and they ran away laughing. I guess they’ll just have grow up like the rest of us.

The riddles were amusing and not too difficult to solve but kept us engaged as we absorbed the interesting stories and facts. We thought Grandpa would really enjoy it and plan to bring him here the next time he visits.

Back to the presentAfter having solved all the riddles, we all deserved a sweet treat. It was hard not to stop at one of the cute cafes in the center of town. But we were excited to try the special flavors at Kalte Lust. The Gelateria has one of their ice cream carts in Baden. Fresh scooped ice cream is always the best! Our favorites were Chocolate-Peanut Butter and Popcorn-Salted Caramel. We are already looking forward to trying more flavors on our next visit to Baden.

Cooling off

No summer day is complete without a swim. So, we continued our walk through beautiful old town and down the river to the “Freibad des Terrassenbads” swimming area, which has a lovely view of the ruins of Stein Castle.

We had a great time splashing in the wave pool, but the 100-m-long water slide was the favorite. We weren’t quite brave enough to jump off the 10-meter diving platform – maybe next time. The kids had so much fun that we wished this Badi was closer to home. But it’s a great excuse to visit Baden again and again.

Tips and links Kinderregion

• Source Code – a scavenger hunt through the spas of Baden and their history
• Hot Thermal Fountains in Baden and Ennetbaden
• Indoor and Outdoor Pool Terrassenbad
• Mia and Marlon: Audio Tour of the city on the river Limmat for everyone, 10+ years
• Bike Trail Moated Castle
• Chänzeli Tour with four viewpoints
• Ruins of Stein Castle in Baden