Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden is the capital of the German State Hesse. Wiesbaden is a historic spa city which has catered to people from countries near and far for many centuries. Even the "old" Romans knew of the "Aquis Mattiacis".

Today it is part of the big Rhine Main area and profits from it's proximity to the Frankfurt Airport and the business center of Frankfurt. During peak times a lot of business travellers stay in Wiesbaden instead of Frankfurt and relax from the busy metropolis in this smaller city with a charming old city.

Wiesbaden is very well connected by many highways from Frankfurt, Cologne or Mainz. Trains travel frequently and are very enjoyable. Travel times by car are roughly 15 minutes (from Mainz), 30 minutes (from Frankfurt), or 2 hours (from Cologne / Köln).

Once you are in the city centre it's pretty comfortable to just walk around. There's a main pedestrian area (Fußgängerzone) which is similar to an open-air mall, but more relaxed. Shops line the street and alleys, and it's mostly closed off to cars. Many shops, cafes and restaurants can be found in this area. Be sure to walk around the "Old City" (Altstadt) as well.

If you want to go further out of the city centre, you can use the developed bus system. Buses travel frequently, and on time! It is possible to buy tickets on the bus, just ask the driver (because of possible language-barrier issues, just say the name of the street you want to go to). Your trip will cost you a minimum of €1.40 (adult), but probably no more than €2.20 (one way). There's also a one day ticket, with which you can go wherever you want, available at the ticket machines for €5.50 and €3.25 for adults and children, respectively. Weekly tickets are available for €19, and have the added bonus of one other adult and all of your own children (up to 14 y.o.) travelling for free from 7PM weeknights, and all day Saturday and Sunday.