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Can you see the elegant city palace? The neoclassical building once again bears the signature of architect Friedrich Weinbrenner! Queen Friederike Dorothea von Baden, who was married to the Swedish King Gustav Adolf IV, resided here until 1826. In 1872, the International Club moved in, which organised the Iffezheim horse races – another attraction that Bénazet had thought up for the spa town! Even unaccompanied ladies were allowed to attend the races. This was highly unusual at the time, but the horse races were social events after all! The idea for this came about during the golden age of the casino – in the middle of the 19th century. Bénazet modelled it on the elegant racecourses in Longchamps and Auteuil. However, when gambling was banned, the financing of the races was no longer guaranteed! Fortunately, the International Club was founded to ensure the continuation of the races. This is the only way that the most important gallop race in Germany can still take place in Iffezheim today! Of course – alongside the German Derby in Hamburg!
LA8 is also home to the Baden-Baden Chess Centre. – The world chess champion Viswanathan Anand comes and goes here! He plays in the premier league – in the Bundesliga club OSG. The club is also based in the Kulturhaus LA8, as the former city palace is now called.
But citizens and our guests are also welcome at the Kulturhaus: It is home to the Museum of 19th Century Art and Technology, which hosts changing exhibitions. The fact that the house is still so lively today is mainly thanks to the Baden-Baden entrepreneur Wolfgang Grenke and his wife Anneliese.
The “d’Angleterre” hotel is still located opposite, and is now known as the Hotel Atlantik. In its day, it was considered the most beautiful hotel in Baden-Baden. The French writer Gérard de Nerval wrote that the dining room surpassed all Parisian halls in elegance! Franz Liszt stayed here. – The later Chancellor Bismarck was also a regular guest of the hotel. – To this day, celebrities like to hang out in Baden-Baden: Especially for the annual presentation of the German Media Prize in the nearby Congress Centre!
