Spielbank Wiesbaden
- Address
- Kurhausplatz 1, 65189 Wiesbaden
- Age
- 18+
- Literature
- Dostoevsky bust in the Kurpark
RavenquilloIn search of Roulettenburg: Dostoevsky, Turgenev and Tolstoy at the casinos of Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg and Baden-Baden
You won't find "Roulettenburg" on any map. Dostoevsky invented the spa town for his novel The Gambler, and three German towns supplied the material. This guide follows the Russian writers to the spa houses and casinos, tells what they lived through and wrote there, and shows how to find the places, the casinos and nearby casino hotels on foot today.
Three towns, three spa houses, three writers.
Where is Roulettenburg?
The short answer: a little bit everywhere. Dostoevsky gambled at the casinos of Wiesbaden, Baden-Baden and Bad Homburg between 1862 and 1871, and his novel weaves together experiences from all three. Wiesbaden and Bad Homburg both claim to be the model.
He wrote The Gambler under great pressure. In October 1866 he had to deliver a new novel to a publisher by a fixed date or lose the rights to his works. He dictated the book in 26 days to a young stenographer, Anna Snitkina, who soon afterwards became his wife.
Other Russian writers came to these spa towns too: Ivan Turgenev lived in Baden-Baden for years, and Leo Tolstoy passed through in 1857. Our order follows the map, not the calendar.
Chapter 1
Wiesbaden: the spa house that no longer stands
Wiesbaden is where Dostoevsky discovered roulette. On his first stay in 1862, according to the city chronicle, he cared less about taking the waters than about the casino in the Kurhaus, and for years afterwards he could not break free of it.
The Kurhaus he knew was the old assembly house, built between 1808 and 1810 to designs by Christian Zais. It was meant to give spa guests a social centre and the casino a dignified home. That building is gone: today's Kurhaus on the same square was inaugurated in 1907.
His hardest Wiesbaden summer was 1865. He meant to work on a new novel here, but lost all his travel money, along with an advance from his publisher. In August he wrote from his hotel to Polina Suslova in Paris: they would no longer serve him meals, and he urgently needed money to pay the innkeeper.
Margin note: the letters from these weeks are not an adventure but a record of debts.
On foot today: main station → Kurhaus
- From the main station north towards the centre, ≈ 1.8 km, ≈ 25 minutes.
- Along Wilhelmstraße, the spa town's grand boulevard, to Kurhausplatz.
- Behind the Kurhaus into the Kurpark: below the Nizzaplätzchen, facing the south side of the Kurhaus, stands Gabriel Glikman's bust of Dostoevsky, placed there in 1996.
Distance and time are estimates; any map app will show the exact path.
Chapter 2
Bad Homburg: "One could live here"
Bad Homburg owes its rise as an international spa town to two brothers from France. François and Louis Blanc opened the casino on 23 May 1841. With its income they paid for the Kurhaus, street lighting and a railway line to Frankfurt; François Blanc later took over the casino at Monte Carlo.
Dostoevsky gambled here from October 1863 and came back several times. In May 1867, shortly after his wedding, he wrote to his young wife from Homburg, in effect, that one could live well in this town if it were not for that cursed roulette. By day he walked through the Kurpark; at night he wandered restlessly in it.
One of the novel's best-known characters, the rich old aunt who gambles away her fortune within days, is said to have been modelled on Countess Sophie Kisseleff, notorious in Homburg for her passion for play. Kisseleffstraße, which cuts through the Kurpark, is named after her.
Margin note: for a long time locals were not allowed to play here; the ban on residents was only lifted in 1986.
On foot today: Kurhaus garden → Kurpark
- In the garden of the Kurhaus in the town centre stands Nikolai Karlychanov's sculpture of Dostoevsky, unveiled in 2014.
- From there into the Kurpark, ≈ 10 minutes: Kisseleffstraße runs right through it.
- The casino is in the Kurpark, near the Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bad.
Times are estimates.
Chapter 3
Baden-Baden: the Russian summer
No Russian writer was as closely tied to Baden-Baden as Ivan Turgenev. He lived here from 1863 to 1870, first at Schillerstraße 17, then in his own villa on today's Fremersbergstraße, right next to the estate of the singer Pauline Viardot, whose circle he belonged to. In 1870 he helped organise an international chess tournament in the town.
In his novel Smoke, published in April 1867, he portrayed the town's Russian spa guests. One scene is set in the gaming rooms: the same faces always crowd around the green tables, and gambling fever makes even the most refined features hard and greedy. Turgenev had seen the consequences up close.
Leo Tolstoy, for instance, was in Baden-Baden in July 1857 and could not tear himself away from the roulette table. He borrowed money from acquaintances, Turgenev among them, eventually lost everything and had to leave town.
Dostoevsky came for a few days in September 1863 and again in 1867. The second trip was meant as a honeymoon and turned into a flight from creditors. In the summer of 1867 he met Turgenev, and the conversation ended in a rift: Turgenev was a convinced "Westerniser", while Dostoevsky defended a separate Russian path.
Margin note: Friedrich Weinbrenner's Kurhaus still stands, and all three of them saw it.
On foot today: Lichtentaler Allee → Kurhaus
- Baden-Baden station is outside the centre in the Oos district; take the bus into town.
- On the Lichtentaler Allee stands a monument to Turgenev, erected in 2000.
- Walk along the avenue to the Kurhaus on Kaiserallee, the scene of Tolstoy's and Dostoevsky's evenings, ≈ 10–15 minutes.
Times are estimates. Turgenev's former villa can only be seen from outside.
Who was here?
Eight postcards, each with a clue. Guess which of the three writers it refers to; the answer also tells you where to find the place today. Your progress is stored only in this browser.
Kurhaus and casino: a German tradition
It was no coincidence that Dostoevsky gambled in Wiesbaden, Homburg and Baden-Baden of all places. In the 19th century the casino belonged to the German spa town as much as the pump room and the spa gardens.
Spa guests had time and money, and the rulers needed income. In Wiesbaden the old Kurhaus was expressly built in part to give the casino a dignified home; the oldest known gambling licence in the town dates from 1771.
The big boom came from a ban next door: France closed all its casinos as of 31 December 1837. For the German spa towns that was the signal. Jacques Bénazet from Paris took over the Baden-Baden casino in 1838, and the Blanc brothers opened the Homburg casino in 1841.
In the German Empire it all ended in late 1872. By then François Blanc had long since taken over the casino at Monte Carlo. In Germany, Baden-Baden was the first town to reopen, in 1933; Wiesbaden and Bad Homburg followed in 1949, and the casinos moved back into their spa houses and spa parks.
The casinos today
All three casinos where the writers played or watched still exist, each in its Kurhaus or Kurpark. Here are the essentials for a visit, as of 28 September 2026. Hours change, so always check the venue's website.
Spielbank Bad Homburg
- Address
- in the Kurpark, 61348 Bad Homburg
- Age
- 18+
- Literature
- Dostoevsky sculpture in the Kurhaus garden
Casino Baden-Baden
- Address
- Kaiserallee 1, 76530 Baden-Baden
- Age
- 21+
- Literature
- Turgenev monument on the Lichtentaler Allee
Frequently asked questions
Which casino is Roulettenburg?
No single one. Dostoevsky gambled in Wiesbaden, Baden-Baden and Bad Homburg and drew on experiences from all three. Wiesbaden and Bad Homburg both claim to be the model.
Where are the Dostoevsky monuments?
In Wiesbaden a bust has stood in the Kurpark, facing the Kurhaus, since 1996. In Bad Homburg a sculpture has stood in the Kurhaus garden since 2014.
What is the minimum age for these casinos?
18 in Wiesbaden and Bad Homburg (Hesse), 21 in Baden-Baden (Baden-Württemberg). A valid ID is required everywhere.
Why did the German casinos close in 1872?
Public gambling was banned in the new German Empire; in Baden-Baden play ended on 31 October 1872. Baden-Baden reopened in 1933, Wiesbaden and Bad Homburg in 1949.
Which hotels are close to the casinos?
In Wiesbaden, the Schwarzer Bock on Kranzplatz, ≈ 5–7 minutes from the casino. In Bad Homburg, the Steigenberger, ≈ 5–10 minutes from the Kurpark. In Baden-Baden, Maison Messmer right next to the Kurhaus and Brenners on the Lichtentaler Allee.
What is the difference between table games and slots?
Table games are played with a croupier, for example roulette, blackjack or poker, often with a dress code. Slot machines are played on machines and are usually more relaxed. In Baden-Baden men need a jacket for table games.
What is The Gambler about?
A young tutor in a German spa town falls under the spell of roulette. The novel shows how gambling destroys relationships, money and self-respect, and is seen as one of literature's most precise portraits of gambling addiction.
Casino hotels: staying within walking distance of the Kurhaus
If you follow the route, stay somewhere that makes the way back from the casino a short walk. Here are hotels with a spa or bathing tradition near the three casinos. No prices, no stars, no reviews: please check availability and services on the hotel's website.
Wiesbaden
Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock
On Kranzplatz 12. The hotel traces its history back to a bathhouse of 1486 and calls itself Europe's oldest grand hotel. Inside is the Badhaus Wiesbaden spa, run by a separate operator, for an extra fee and from age 16.
To the casino in the Kurhaus ≈ 420 m, ≈ 5–7 min on foot.
Wiesbaden
Nassauer Hof
This traditional hotel near the Kurhaus has been closed for renovation since late 2025; reopening is planned for early 2028. It cannot be booked until then.
As of 09/2026, check the date on the website.
Bad Homburg
Steigenberger Bad Homburg
The hotel has a gym with a sauna. The town's large spa is Kur-Royal in the historic Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bad in the Kurpark, right next to the casino.
To the casino in the Kurpark ≈ 5–10 min on foot.
Baden-Baden
Maison Messmer
Right next to the Kurhaus, now part of Hommage Luxury Hotels, with the Royal Spa covering about 800 m².
To the casino in the Kurhaus ≈ 2–3 min on foot.
Baden-Baden
Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa
On the Lichtentaler Allee, with a large spa and medical centre. The Turgenev monument stands on the same avenue, so the literary walk to the casino starts at the door.
To the casino ≈ 10 min along the avenue.
Walking times are estimates. This site has no connection with the hotels and earns no commission.
What the letters teach
Play responsibly. Dostoevsky's letters from Wiesbaden, Homburg and Baden-Baden tell the same story again and again: a plan, a promise, then debts and the next letter asking for money. That is exactly what gambling addiction looks like from the inside.
- Set a limit first: decide on an amount and a time before you enter the Kurhaus, and bring only that amount.
- There is no system: if you believe you have found a sure method, that is the moment to stop.
- Don't chase: playing on to win back losses is one of the clearest warning signs.
- Exclusion: through OASIS, Germany's nationwide register, you can exclude yourself from all casinos.
18+ · 21+
Gambling advice, free and anonymous (in German):
0800 1 37 27 00Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG, formerly BZgA). Mon–Thu 10 am–10 pm, Fri–Sun 10 am–6 pm.
Play responsibly.