Wiesbaden: Beds, Baths and Beyond
Perhaps surprisingly given its global standing, the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main isn’t actually the capital city of the state of Hessen in central Germany. For that, you need to travel just under one hour to the west, where on the banks of the river Rhine you’ll find Germany’s 24th biggest city. But, let us tell you, cracking the top 25 is far from the most impressive thing that Wiesbaden has going for it. Intrigued? Good, because we’ve decided to dedicate this edition of Insider Tips to sharing with you what makes Wiesbaden a cool destination, and why it should be the next name added to your ‘to visit’ list…
Diving straight in, well climbing in is probably more accurate, we’re pretty sure diving is forbidden… We’re going to get started with the “baths” element of our title. Wiesbaden is Germany’s largest and one of Europe’s oldest spa towns. If you translate its name to English, it comes out as ‘meadow baths’, so yeah it's pretty safe to say that the folks of Wiesbaden know a thing or two about bathing. There are numerous spas, pools and wellness facilities in Wiesbaden, but we’ve decided to focus on one for now.
Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme is a historic, Irish-Roman bathhouse that is built on the foundations of the original Roman baths in Wiesbaden. The décor has a kind of Art Nouveau vibe, and the place is packed with pillared rooms and elaborate ornaments, lending to a pretty unique sauna experience. There’s a variety of rooms and extensive facilities, meaning you can really take your time and unwind there. One thing we should point out is that clothing is not permitted, so if you aren’t super comfortable hanging out in your birthday suit then this might not be the place for you.
We promised a “beyond” to go with those baths, so onwards we go. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a wanderer, hiking in Wiesbaden and its surrounding areas is top-notch. Starting furthest afield, we have the iconic Rheinsteig. Stretching all of 320 km along the Rhine from Wiesbaden to Bonn, there are a variety of longer hikes or shorter tours, ups and downs and spectacular views aplenty. A little closer to the city is the Rheingauer Klostersteig – the Rheingau Monastery Trail. If you fancy becoming a travelling pilgim for a day then this is the one for you. You’ll take in churches and castles along the way, of course as well as the beautiful Rhine Valley scenery. If you don’t want to leave the city at all, that’s also no problem. The Neroberg is the one for you. It is a 245-metre-high hill that sits within the city confines and offers 360 panoramic views of Wiesbaden. The best bit is, if you can’t be bothered to climb up or down it, there’s a little train powered by water and gravity that runs up and down every 15 minutes.
And so, finally we loop back to “beds”. It’s pretty obvious what we’re going to say, isn’t it? It has to be Pentahotel Wiesbaden. We have 209 rooms spanning six floors, all of them designed with style and comfort in mind and containing a big comfy bed. Not only that but also the Pentalounge: a bar/chillout spot/restaurant. A kiosk that’s open 24/7 where you can buy all kinds of treats and drinks. A community kitchen if you want to cook for yourself. A gym… How many reasons do you need?
