WIESBADEN, possibly the nicest state capital in Germany
Wiesbaden is the capital of the state of Hessen, the state in which Frankfurt is located as well. The city suffered only minor damage during WW2 and used to be home to the Dukes of Nassau, giving it a nice "royal" heritage which can be seen in the city's architecture as well.
In the historic center of the city:
Russian Orthodox Church. Built between 1847-55 by the Duke of Nassau for his deceased wife who was born in Russia:
Market Church:
St. Boniface Church:
Late 19th century architecture:
Central Train Station:
State Theater:
More late 19th century architecture:
Casino:
State Parliament of Hessen, former palace of the Dukes of Nassau:
Wiesbaden looks lovely. They say the Americans spared the city during the war because they wanted somewhere nice for their occupying forces to stay in.
Beautiful. I've only been there to park at the train station and take the S-Bahn to Frankfurt to avoid parking there, but next time I think I'll check the city out instead of just taking the train out.
They say the Americans spared the city during the war because they wanted somewhere nice for their occupying forces to stay in.
I think the same thing's said about Heidelberg.
The area around the train station isn't all that great but after about a 10 minute walk you reach the city center and it really has a lot of 19th century splendor which can't be found in too many other western German cities.
Nice pictures. Wiesbaden looks like a great city. If it's in Hessen with Frankfurt, how come it's the capital and not Frankfurt?
Wiesbaden was the capital of the Duchy of Nassau and it was pretty intact after the war while Frankfurt suffered a lot of damage. That may have simply made it more sensible to house parliament in Wiesbaden.
Wiesbaden was the capital of the Duchy of Nassau and it was pretty intact after the war while Frankfurt suffered a lot of damage. That may have simply made it more sensible to house parliament in Wiesbaden.
Also, it was expected that Frankfurt would become the capital of Germany. However, Hessen is not the only state where the largest city isn't the capital.
Wiesbaden is such an underrated city, even within Hessen.
Did you also explore the neighborhoods surrounding the city center? Wiesbaden in my opinion has the grandest and most intact 19th and early 20th century streetscapes of any West German city. What is also striking is the large scale of its Wilhelminian-style buildings in some areas, only surpassed by Berlin, Hamburg and perhaps Leipzig. Not to mention the beautiful mansions all over the city. This place just oozes elegance and wealth.
Sadly I didn't visit these places...yet. I'm planning on driving down to Wiesbaden again within the forseeable future (perhaps within the next 2 monts) to check out some of those residential areas in more detail.
Quick history lesson. The inscription reads "Loyal to the fatherland I will remain until I die" which is also part of the Dutch national anthem. The Dukes of Nassau and the Dutch royal house are closely related.
Wow, this city is beautiful! I just spent sometime in my girlfriend's hometown of Ulm a couple of weeks ago. Love the German culture! Thanks for the great photos.
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