I was more impressed by the structure built to house the Roman baths in Badenweiler, Germany, than by the baths themselves. The place though has been a spa town for 1700 years or more, which is also impressive. I think the “baden” in the town’s name means “bathing” but that is a guess on my part.

If you have seen Roman baths elsewhere, like I did in Bath, England, about 30 years ago, you will find these ones disappointing. No mosaics or tiles and the water isn’t flowing. Just the ruins, which are protected from the environment by a sort of greenhouse. I found it to be a very effective way to showcase the site with natural light.

As a tourist location it is very low key. No attendants on duty to take your entry fee. You use a self-service machine. Insert a two-Euro coin, take ticket and the ticket then unlocks the turnstile. You can wander through at your own pace. There really isn’t much to see (and all the signs are in German only) but then again the price was reasonable so I’m not complaining. There at least is an English-language brochure you can pick up by the entrance; there is also a television with some educational videos that does have some English narration.

As a tourist I am always price conscious. I hate paying for something and feeling I didn’t get value for the fee I was charged. That can happen with pricey museums that don’t live up to their reputation (I’m not mentioning any names here).

A reconstruction of what the facility is thought to have looked like in Roman times.

So it was refreshing to see an exhibit that had no pretensions. It is a small piece of area history, and you can see it for a small price. Nothing wrong with that!