How Baden-Baden Came by Its Name

The German town of Baden-Baden acquired that name officially in 1931. Before that, it was simply called Baden. Baden was a bathing spa in Roman times, and accordingly called Aquae like Bath. Both have the same meaning as Baden. How did this tautological weirdness come to pass?

Baden-Baden

Neuchatel: The Anachronistic City in Switzerland

Neuchatel is a beautiful little town in Switzerland situated on Lake Neuchatel. It managed to become an anachronistic holdover from the middle ages into the 19th century and thereby almost brought Switzerland and Prussia to declare war on each other. Today, it has a university and is a center for tourists visiting the beautiful countryside and the Jura Mountains.