Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden takes 1 day to see: the Kurhaus, a belle époque-style casino and event venue built next to the thermal springs that made the city famous, in a morning walk, and the surrounding gardens, in the afternoon. April-October is best. It's mid-to-high priced by German standards. It's the capital of Hesse -not Frankfurt, as many assume- and during the 19th century it was one of Europe's most elegant spa towns, visited by continental aristocracy seeking its thermal waters.