There is a story, apocryphal perhaps, about an advisor to Tsar Nicholas II who, one day in 1902 entered the royal vaults in the palace at Saint Petersburg. When the man entered the vault he had in his possession a small, empty black valise. When he left a few minutes later, the valise contained 20 million rubles worth of diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

Not being a fool, the advisor left Saint Petersburg immediately. After ten days of traveling, arrived at the German town of Baden-Baden. On the day of his arrival he took a suite of rooms at Brenner's Park Hotel, employed a personal servant to look after him, took a nap, had dinner and, at nine in the evening made his way with his valise to the casino. Once there, he took a seat at one of the roulette tables and then began his work in earnest.

Every day he followed precisely the same ritual. His large breakfast was always followed by a stroll through the town, coffee and a glass of schnapps at Caffe Konig, and a nap before dinner. Every evening, precisely at nine, he made his way again to the Casino, always to take the same seat at the same roulette table, and always to place his bets in accordance with a system that he had diligently worked out while he was still in Russia. It took him exactly nine days to lose every ruble he had.

Other than the fact that few people lose that much money in such a short time these days, little has changed at Baden-Baden in the intervening 90 years. Located in a wooded valley of the northern part of the Black Forest, this small, immaculately clean city sits in happy harmony with the forest that surrounds it and, since the early 19th century has been Germany's ultimate high-fashion vacation resort. It may be because the city is somewhat isolated or it may be because one of every five residents of the city is a millionaire, but Baden-Baden seems to have made a conscious decision not to enter the 20th century. With a flair and a style entirely its own, Baden-Baden is the last remaining stronghold of the Belle Epoque.

Starting early in the 19th century, just about everyone gravitated to Baden-Baden. Kings, queens, emperors, princes and princesses and members of the Russian nobility all found that here they could have all of the luxury they craved for. Those who did not build their own summer homes here stayed at the small but ultimately prestigious Brenner's Park Hotel. Actors, actresses, writers and composers also made their way here and such notable figures as Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Victor Hugo and Yohann Sebastian Brahams were all regular visitors. The royal families that established Baden-Baden as their unofficial summer residence in the 19th century no longer exist, but the palatial homes and stately villas that they built are now owned by millionaires, opera singers, best-selling authors and movie stars.

Located in a stately mansion off tree lined Lichtenaler Allee, Brenner's Park Hotel is still considered one of the best and most luxurious hotels in the world. The exquisite lobby, decorated in fin-de-siecle luxury and extravagance, is furnished with 18th and 19th century chairs, sofas and writing desks; the men and women working at the reception desk are all dressed in formal black suits; and, once seated, it is difficult to refuse the complementary champagne that is constantly being offered.

The hotel has only 68 rooms and 20 suites, but every one of these is fitted out with luxurious late 19th century furnishings and decorated with silk brocade drapes. Each of the rooms has a large terrace that looks out over the spacious private grounds of the hotel and the larger rooms and all of the suites have wood burning fireplaces and mahogany bars. If one tires of drinking champagne and watching the view, the hotel also has a sauna, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, their own medicinal spa, a billiard room, a beauty saloon for men and women. For those who enjoy the outdoor life, the concierge will arrange guided hiking tours or horseback riding expeditions in the summer, cross-country skiing in the winter and, for those so inclined, hunting trips at any time of the year. The favorite game around Baden-Baden, as in all of the Black Forest are deer, hare and wild boar and the streams are full of trout, bass and pike.

At night although one one can chose from the ballet, theater or concert, the favorite activity involves a stroll to the Casino, there to enter with hopes of winning enough money to come back to Baden-Baden on a regular basis. There is no question that this is the finest casino in Germany, and many claim that it is also the most beautiful in the world. Built in 1853 and modeled after the great French imperial palaces, the richly decorated gaming rooms were purposely designed so that kings and emperors would feel at home here.

Although there are good restaurants in both the Park Hotel and at the Casino, these feature French food at prices so high that only those who win a great deal of money at the casino can afford them. When in Baden-Baden, one will do far better to dine on the rich regional cuisine, much of which has been influenced by the cooking of nearby France and which is specially delicate. In addition to the world famous Black Forest smoked ham and dishes based on the game that is readily available, the region also boasts delicious plums and cherries that make their way into a variety of dishes and sauces. Remember as well that Black Forest residents adore meat and sausages so much that there is a local saying to the effect that "meat is the best vegetable". Be sure at least once to try the locally made Gansewurst, a sausage made from smoked goose and then to go on to sample the Knockwurst, Bratwurst and Weisswurst, all of which are among the best to be found in Germany.

My own favorite way to dine in Baden-Baden is to start at the hotel with an early morning breakfast of eggs, smoked salmon and a half bottle of Champagne. Like many of the locals, I follow this with a second breakfast (called the z'Nuni) at about 11 a.m.. This traditionally consists of several thick slices of meats that have been smoked over pine cones which are then served with thick bread and a large glass of icy cold dry white wine. My favorite place for this snack is the small "Lowenbraukeller", a country style tavern, where one can eat in the rustic dining room or in the small tree shaded garden.

Unlike most of their countrymen, the people of Baden-Baden do not have a heavy lunch, preferring to wait until four or five in the afternoon to go to one of the cafes where they thrive on enormous amounts of coffee and cake. The "Caffe Konig" is my own favorite, because the coffee is always superb, the brandy flavored whipped cream is marvelous and the cakes unbelievably good. The owners, members of the 11th generation of the family that founded the cafe nearly 240 years ago, claim that the Black Forest cherry cake, the world famous "schwarzwalderkirshtorte", originated here. Whether this claim has any basis in fact is open to question, but theirs is certainly one of the best versions to be found anywhere in the world.

Dinner is a late night affair. During the summer months, most people wait to dine until after their trip to the casino. During the fall and winter most people make their way to dinner between 7 and 8 in the evening. Those who have succeeded or anticipate suc- cess at the roulette wheel often dine at "Pospisil's Merkurius," where owner-chef Pavel Pospisil adds a distinct Boheminan touch to his cooking. Located in a small country-house about 8 kilometers south of the city, in the village of Varnhalt, this is a super- expensive restaurant that features such superb dishes as wild hare in blackberry sauce; fish that has been poached in champagne and then served with a rich red wine sauce; and stuffed pigeons with cherries, all of which so good that few object to the astromical prices.

Others with unlimited budgets will find the rustic "Zum Alde Gott" much to their taste. Located in the suburb of Neuweir, the restaurant features game and seafood dishes delicate and delicious enough to delight the fussiest of palates and desserts (such as figs in beer pastry) that would be the pride of any fine chef.

Those on more realistic budgets need not be disappointed in their hunt for fine food. "Waldhorn Restaurant" offers charcoal grilled game and other meat dishes in a delightful country-style building on the edge of the forest and the in-town tavern known as "Brat- wurstglockle" offers traditional regional cuisine in huge quanti- ties. Both of these places serve excellent local wines in pitchers and the bills will astonish only because they will seem so reasonable.

POSPISIL'S MERKURIUS: Klosterberg 2, Varnhalt. Reservations re- quired. Telephone 07223/5474. Jacket and tie required dress for men. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Very expensive.

ZUM ALDE GOTT: Weinstrasse 10, Neuweier. Reservations required Telephone 07223/5513. Closed Fridays. Expensive.

BRATWURSTGLOCKLE: Steinstrasse 7, Baden-Baden. Telephone 07221/ 2968. Informal and inexpensive.

LOWENBRAUKELLER: Gernsbacherstrasse 9, Baden-Baden. Telephone 07221/2231. Informal and inexpensive.

BRENNER'S PARK HOTEL: Schillerstrasse 6, Baden Baden. Telephone 07221/3530. Very expensive. Prices range from DM 600 for a double room to DM 1,400 for a suite.

© Daniel Rogov