Practical information
Why go?
Lush city parks, exclusive districts and a history of famous visitors from all over the world in the regional capital of Hesse. "A poet's dream of a region..." is how Heinrich von Kleist once described Wiesbaden and its charming environs along the Rhine River.
In 1866, the new Prussian rulers supported the development of the city and Emperor William II influenced the architectural design of the cultural centers such as the Hessisches Staatstheater (Hessian State Theater) and the "new" Kurhaus (Spa House) both of which were constructed during his reign. He solemnly declared his favorite summer residence to be a "world spa city".
World-renowned poets, thinkers and musicians laid the foundations for the cultural life of the city. Goethe felt inspired here, Brahms composed the "Wiesbadener Symphonie" (Wiesbaden Symphony), Dostoyevsky conducted extensive studies in the casino for "The Gambler", Wagner worked on his opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) in a villa on the Rhine, Max Reger lived for a long time in Wiesbaden, and painters like Otto Ritschl and Alexey von Jawlensky spent the autumn of their lives here.
Impressive architecture, elegant villas, extensive green spaces and parks as well as generous boulevards document the urban development that occurred during the Wilhelminian era. Wiesbaden emerged from both world wars almost unscathed. The magnificent buildings have been preserved for the most part and bear witness to a famous and brilliant past.