Europe’s Most Prestigious Casinos

If casinos are on your to-see list for Europe, this article will help you decide where to go. Even though we live in the age of the Internet where every type of entertainment exists online, land-based casinos are still extremely popular and make for a great destination to visit while traveling. Some of them have been part of modern culture for quite a while, serving as a perfect setting for novels, films and TV series. Some of them are old and come with a lot of tradition.

Casino Monte Carlo of Monaco

The Casino Monte Carlo in Monaco leads the list, no matter how you look at it. It’s old, it opened in 1856 and very soon was the place to go for Europe’s rich and famous. As this particular clientele included plenty of blue-blooded folk back in the day, you won’t be too surprised to hear that to this day, the Grimaldis, famously the principal family of Monaco, own a stake in its business.

The casino has been used as a venue for numerous films, including England’s most popular gambling spy, who last paid the place a visit in 1995 in the 17th Bond film, Golden Eye. Another famous connection of the whole Principality of Monaco to the world of film is of course Princess Grace Patricia, who was a Hollywood actress before marrying Prince Rainier. Her tragic death in a car accident has contributed to the place’s legends and mysteries.

Kurhaus Baden-Baden of Germany

Another casino that’s historically connected to the golden age of European royalty is the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden in Germany. It was built even earlier than the Casino Monte Carlo and from the beginning was meant to be a place where the German Empire’s upper 1000 would go for rest and relaxation. It still houses a hotel and casino today. As you would expect from the Germans, the place is kept in its original state with meticulous care, which makes it a real beauty among casinos and definitely a place worth seeing. Today it’s a place for events too and has been known to host plenty of shows and fairs that promote German culinary culture.

Casino Sanremo of Italy

Back to the shores of the Mediterranean: To the east of previously-mentioned Monte Carlo lies the Italian town of Sanremo. Although less well-known than other places, Sanremo has been a favorite holiday spot for people with money and prestige for centuries. Its municipal casino opened in 1905 and has lost nothing of its original charm since. Today it’s a favorite destination for private high-rollers, hosting tournaments year-round. Thanks to its location, it’s also a seaside resort with a lot of history. Definitely worth a visit.

Casino Interlaken of Switzerland

To round off our look at Europe’s most prestigious casinos, let’s have a look at a place that used to be great, disappeared from the gambling map, and recently has been revived. Although the renaissance of Swiss casinos was announced with much noise, not much has happened there over the last ten years or so. We’ll feature them for the value of their general setting more than their appeal to gamblers.

All of them have a long history, no doubt, and are still housed where they used to be when they saw their best days. The Casino Interlaken was part of the late 1800 and early 1900’s, when developers ran luxurious grand hotels and resorts on mountain tops and Switzerland was the most prestigious destination around. With the demise of the European monarchies after World War

Casino St. Moritz of Switzerland

One these places slowly disappeared, and the once famous casinos went with them. The Casino St. Moritz had a similar fate. Both houses were reopened some 15 years ago, but failed to attract the kind of high-rolling audience they would have needed to really bring back the glory of the old days. Still, their location and buildings are worth a look – and so we’ll finish off with a piece of advice: Gambler or not, traveling alone or in company, always make sure there’s more to see than just a casino!