The word-for-word translation of Kurschatten is "spa shadow", i.e. someone who follows you around - or "shadows you" - at a spa resort. This is a man or woman you have a little love affair - or as the Germans would put it a Techtelmechtel - with while staying at a spa resort. Since stays can be up to 6 weeks long, that's plenty of time for something romantic or flirty to develop.
Normally, things don't go any further than the spa resort. What happens in Baden Baden stays in Baden Baden.
In the past, going on a "cure" was very popular in Germany. My civil servant aunts in Berlin went every four years for a 6-week Kur or "cure" ever four years, whether they needed one or not. A "cure" is meant to prevent any disease or condition from developing. Later, there was a medical reform in order to save money and this rhythm was then changed to four weeks every six years. I'm not sure what the current situation is.
Even now, though, if you are an employee and have national health insurance, you'll often get prescribed "Reha" or Rehabilitation, i.e. physiotherapy and that is very much like a Kur. For example, if you get a new hip, you'll spend 6 weeks in a "Rehaklinik", which is where you could develop a little fling with someone for the duration.
Six weeks of physiotherapy in a clinic after hip surgery - totally unheard of in the UK. The mother of a colleague of mine had a hip replacement somewhere in the north of England and was back at home two days later. She was given a list of exercises to do and a nurse came by twice a week to check on her progress.
Imagine, though, six weeks and the chance of a bit of hanky panky or Techtelmechtel to boot [noch dazu]! I should think a lot of Brits would love that. And all on the National Health Service! What's not to like?
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