Wiesbaden, capital of Hesse, is a historic gem rather than a centre of finance or big business. It has managed to hang on to its own charming traditions. The glorious past of this elegant spa town as an imperial city is still very obvious today. Apart from luxurious buildings in the city centre, there is still the cosy old town with its wine restaurants just waiting to be discovered. The historic spa building houses one of the most beautiful casinos in Europe. Dostoyevsky and Richard Wagner were among its most famous visitors. The actual gambling room, one of the most splendid in this building, is a dream of neo-classical elegance.



Mainz, the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, lies at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Main. It is a centre of the traditional Rhinish Fastnacht (carnival) celebrations. It extends a warm, friendly welcome to visitors with its sociable atmosphere and numerous Weinstuben (wine bars) and Straußenwirtschaften (courtyards with benches where local wine is served to the public). Mainz’s history dates back to the Roman Empire. Many vestiges have been excavated and can either be viewed on site or in one of the many local museums. The Gutenberg Museum pays tribute to Mainz’s undoubtedly most important citizen, Johannes Gutenberg, whose invention of book printing became the foundation stone for modern media communications. One of the most important sights is the over 1000-year-old cathedral in the city centre. The church of St. Stephan with its amazing windows painted by Marc Chagall is also worth a visit. The Prince Elector’s Palace is close to the Rhine Bridge and is now home to the Roman-Germanic Central Museum.