Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Gambler was inspired by the Russian author's visit to the Kurhaus casino. This legal barrier encouraged gamblers to cross the border where they could try their luck at Baden-Baden's gaming tables. Although a casino was incorporated from the inception of the Kurhaus, it only began to achieve international fame in the mid-1830s, when gambling was forbidden in France. The main structure was designed in 1824 by Friedrich Weinbrenner, who is responsible for the Corinthian columns and paired-griffins frieze of the grand entrance and the neo-classical interiors. The Kurhaus is a spa resort, casino, and conference complex in Baden-Baden, Germany in the outskirts of the Black Forest. German spa resort and casino Kurhaus of Baden-Baden The principal staircase