An independent building guide · Germany
Letters from buildings that had another life
Four German casinos sit in former palaces, bathhouses and town halls. Each building writes a short letter: what it was, what you can see from outside without a ticket, and what the rules are inside.
You decide: only look, step inside, or both.
Schematic, not to scale
Two halves, one building
Every building gets the same two halves with the same rows. Outside, free covers who built it and why, which traces of the earlier life you can read on the facade, where to stand and when. Inside, the casino covers age, documents, dress, rooms, entry and hours. Above both runs a narrow strip with the lives of the building, with years.
Sign after sign
Pick a building and move the slider through its lives. The sign over the door changes; below you see the years and what is still visible outside.
Schematic, not to scale
Casino Schloss Berg
- 12th c. – BURG. Fortress of the lords of Berg, built presumably in the 12th century.
- c. 1580 · 1705–09 – SCHLOSS. Converted into a Renaissance palace around 1580, remodelled in Baroque style 1705–1709.
- after 1955 – SCHULLANDHEIM. Heavily damaged in 1944–45, rebuilt from 1955 (to 1958 per one source, 1957 per another); then used as a school hostel (Schullandheim). Owner changed in 1986.
- 1990 – CASINO. Casino and hotel in the listed castle since 1990.
Kurhaus Bad Ems
- 1711–1720 – BADESCHLOSS. Private bath palace of a princess of the House of Nassau-Orange above the Kesselbrunnen spring; planned with three wings, built with two.
- 1836–1839 – KURSAAL. Marmorsaal by Johann Gottfried Gutensohn (one state record gives 1835–49); according to one source also a casino until 1872.
- 1913/14 – KURTHEATER. Spa theatre (Neo-Rococo) and small concert hall added.
- 1987 or earlier* – SPIELBANK. Casino in the former small concert hall and theatre rooms. *One source says since 1987, another since 1912/13.
Luitpoldbad, Bad Kissingen
- 1868–1871 – LUITPOLDBAD. Neo-Renaissance spa and bath complex, the largest bathhouse in Europe at the start of the 20th century.
- 1878–1880 – KURSAAL. Heinrich Hügel adds a two-storey Kursaal that closes the open north side.
- 1966–68 – SPIELBANK. The north wing is converted into a casino. The Bavarian casino itself dates from 1955, first housed in the Hotel und Villa Frühlingsgarten.
- 2017 – BEHÖRDENZENTRUM. The bath closed at the end of the 1970s or 1980s (sources differ) and stood mostly empty; the rest of the complex reopened in 2017 as an authorities' centre, with the casino still in the north wing.
Kurhaus Bad Dürkheim
- early 19th c. – RATHAUS · SCHULE. Built in the first half of the 19th century; according to the city museum first a town hall and school building. Another source describes it as the classicist Kurhaus of 1822–26.
- c. 1847 · from 1936 – KURHAUS. Spa house from about 1847; after the new town hall was built, used only as Kurhaus from 1936. Bomb damage in March 1945, reopened in April 1949.
- Sept. 1949 – SPIELBANK. A casino opens in the Kurhaus, as a branch of the Bad Neuenahr casino company; today the building also houses the Kurparkhotel.
Source: Univ. Saarland (memotransfront), KuLaDig, Kurhaus Bad Ems, Lasa Marmo, Luitpoldbad, Stadtmuseum Bad Dürkheim (museum-digital). Checked: 12 Oct 2026
The four letters
Fortress → palace → school hostel → casino
Casino Schloss Berg
Nennig (Perl), Saarland. Casino since 1990.
Bath palace → Kursaal → theatre → casino
Kurhaus Bad Ems
Bad Ems, Rhineland-Palatinate. Casino here: date disputed.
Bathhouse → Kursaal → casino → offices + casino
Luitpoldbad, Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen, Bavaria. Casino since 1955, here since 1966–68.
Town hall and school → Kurhaus → casino
Kurhaus Bad Dürkheim
Bad Dürkheim, Rhineland-Palatinate. Casino since September 1949.
FAQ
Is this a guide for players?
No. It is a guide to buildings. It does not rank casinos, promise anything or invite anyone to play. If you only want to look at a facade, that is a complete visit.
Why only four buildings?
A building only made the list if its earlier use is documented by two independent sources, the casino is open, and there is at least one detail visible from a public spot. Many candidates failed that test, for example because the casino sits in a new building.
Why do some fields say “check on the official website”?
Hours, dress rules and fees change and sources disagree. Where we could not confirm a value, we say so instead of guessing.
Do you sell or book anything?
No. There are no ads, bookings or affiliate links. External links only lead to official or source pages.