scenic viewpoint
Neroberg
A wooded hill above Wiesbaden reached by a water-powered funicular, crowned by a gold-domed Russian Orthodox church.
2 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeGermanyHesse
Wiesbaden
Hesse, Germany · Europe
About Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Dotzheim, 37km from Lorelei Rock.
Wiesbaden is in Hesse, Germany, with about 290,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Dotzheim, about 4 km away.
Wiesbaden (German pronunciation: [ˈviːsˌbaːdn̩] ; lit. 'meadow baths') is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden forms a conurbation with a population of around 500,000 with theRead more
neighbouring city of Mainz. This conurbation is in turn embedded in the Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region—Germany's second-largest metropolitan region after Rhine-Ruhr—which also includes the nearby cities of Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, Offenbach am Main, and Hanau, and has a combined population exceeding 5.8 million.
The city is located on the Rhine (Upper Rhine), at the foothills of the Taunus, opposite the Rhineland-Palatine capital of Mainz, and the city centre is located in the wide valley of the small Salzbach stream. Wiesbaden lies in the Rheingau wine-growing region, one of Germany's 13 wine regions. Three of Wiesbaden's boroughs were part of the city of Mainz until 1945, and still bear the designation "Mainz" in their names—the so-called AKK-boroughs of Mainz-Amöneburg, Mainz-Kastel, and Mainz-Kostheim. This so-called AKK-Konflikt (de:AKK-Konflikt) is the main cause for the rivalry between Mainz and Wiesbaden. Wiesbaden Main Station is connected to Frankfurt am Main by the Rhine-Main S-Bahn rapid transit system.
Historically, Wiesbaden was a Nassauian city. From 1170 to 1629, it lay in the County of Nassau, and from 1629 to 1721, it was in the county and later principality of Nassau-Idstein, all of which were territories within the Holy Roman Empire ruled by branches of the House of Nassau. In 1728, the city found itself in the principality of Nassau-Usingen, and in 1744, Biebrich Palace became the main residence of the House of Nassau-Usingen. In 1806, the city became the capital of the Duchy of Nassau. Since 1841, the newly built Wiesbaden City Palace was the principal Nassauian residence. From 1868 to 1944, the city lay in the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau, and from 1944 to 1945, it was the capital of the Province of Nassau. In 1945, it became the capital of Greater Hesse and subsequently, in 1946, of Hesse.
Wiesbaden is one of the oldest spa towns in Europe. Its name translates to "meadow baths", and there are 15 mineral springs—14 of which are hot springs—in the city centre. With a yield of around 2 million liters daily, Wiesbaden is the second-most productive German spa after Aachen. Its location in a mountain basin at the southern foot of the Taunus, protected by the mountains in the north and west, gives Wiesbaden a mild climate. It has been called the "Nice of the North" because of its climate and architecture. The city of Wiesbaden is one of the wealthiest cities in Germany and one of those with above-average purchasing power. The United States Army Europe and Africa headquarters is located in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Wiesbaden?
Within an hour or so of Wiesbaden: Neroberg (2 km), Rüdesheim Drosselgasse (26 km), Niederwalddenkmal (27 km), Römer Frankfurt (31 km).
Are there any good drives near Wiesbaden?
The nearest famous roads are Mosel Valley Wine Route, Schottenring and Moselle Valley Road (B53).
Where is Wiesbaden?
Wiesbaden is in Hesse, Germany, about 4 km from Dotzheim.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 288,850
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- Hesse
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 50.0860, 8.2444
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Wiesbaden
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Rüdesheim Drosselgasse
A narrow cobbled lane of wine taverns and music in the Rheingau, the lively heart of Rhine Valley wine country.
26 km · about 30 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Niederwalddenkmal
A colossal Germania statue above Rüdesheim surveys the Rhine vineyards, reached by a cable car over the steep slopes.
27 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Römer Frankfurt
Frankfurt's medieval town hall and its gabled Römerberg square form a postcard-perfect old-town heart amid the skyscrapers.
31 km · about 35 min drive
ancient ruins
Saalburg Roman Fort
A fully reconstructed Roman fort on the Limes frontier in the Taunus hills brings legionary life vividly back to view.
31 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Bacharach
A quintessential Rhine wine town of half-timbered houses, medieval towers, and the romantic ruins of Wernerkapelle.
34 km · about 40 min drive
cathedral
Limburg Cathedral
A seven-towered orange-and-white Romanesque cathedral perches dramatically on a rock above the Lahn River old town.
36 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Lorelei Rock
A steep 120-metre slate rock on the Rhine's narrowest point, legendary home of the siren whose singing lured sailors to their doom.
37 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Wiesbaden
- Right hereNerobergA wooded hill above Wiesbaden reached by a water-powered funicular, crowned by a gold-domed Russian Orthodox church.
- 27 kmNiederwalddenkmalA colossal Germania statue above Rüdesheim surveys the Rhine vineyards, reached by a cable car over the steep slopes.
- 39 kmUpper Middle Rhine ValleyA UNESCO-listed 65-km stretch of the Rhine between Koblenz and Bingen, lined with over 40 castles, vineyards, and historic towns.
- 64 kmGeierlay Suspension BridgeOne of Germany's longest suspension footbridges sways 100 m above a Hunsrück valley on a thrilling 360 m crossing.
- 67 kmMosel Valley Wine RouteOne of Europe's most scenic wine regions, where the Mosel River winds through steep vineyard-covered slopes and charming villages.
- 77 kmSchottenringA German road circuit in the Vogelsberg hills that hosted motorcycle Grands Prix in the 1950s, notorious for its narrow, tree-lined public roads. Still used for historic events and drivable in between.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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