Despite all of our recent addresses, mostly in world capitals or alpha cities, I can truly say I'm not a city person. Neither is Liebi. Don't get me wrong, we enjoy living in the city very much, we think positive here and help ourselves to everything it has to offer. The kids can't complain, although they tend to roll with the punches. The city one day, a small town the next. The kids will adapt and find fun and creativity in almost anything.
All things considered, I prefer small towns, or small cities, depending on your definition. Bad Homburg, for example, is 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, but has everything you could possibly need. Würzburg has about 120,000 residents, but packs quite a punch for a small city. I noticed, especially the last time I was in Nürnberg at the Christmas Market, how little I will miss the city once it's time to move along, especially the crowds. Bad Homburg, for example, is not going to have the big opera house, the airport, or the stadium. But it's comforting to know that these things are close, in case you decide the semiannual trip to Mallorca becomes indispensable.
Enter a city like Wiesbaden. Now Wiesbaden is a fairly decent sized city with about 300,000 residents. Wiesbaden doesn't have a metro line, here it will be car, bus or foot. And yet, it's easily a five star city under the column of medium sized cities.
For one day, a holiday on a Monday, Liebi and I decide to pick and choose. The Schloß down by the Rhein will have to wait, although I would have loved to have seen that. Ditto for the cable car to take you up to the Neroberg. Again, these are first world problems. It's simply nice to have a city with a selection.
First, we stroll through the Kurpark, along with the Kurhaus. This is the convention center of the city, in addition to hosting a high stakes casino. Keep in mind that Wiesbaden was traditionally known as a wellness resort, dozens of hot springs were discovered here. The name of the city itself means 'meadow baths'. Although the Kurhaus itself now has different functions, the building itself is still gorgeous to look at with its neo-classical style. Embellishing the building is the park with its fountains and gargantuan trees. We are already picturing this place during spring or summer.
From the Kurpark, we make our way into the city center, where we pass the neo-Gothic Marktkirche, built in the mid 19th century, a toddler by Germany's medieval standards. Looking at it more closely, I notice it's all brick. Sadly, the church is actually closed on a Monday. Why is a church closed? Closed for what? Business? So be it, we have other places to go.
Once we make our way through the pedestrian zone and enjoy our lunch, it's time to check out the much heralded Taunusstraße, one of the premier shopping streets in Germany. Although Liebi and I don't mind shopping, it's really the buildings we can't stop staring at. Here we're talking art noveau and belle epoque, constructed at the end of the 19th century. Wiesbaden was fortunate in that it was largely spared during the war. Some say the Americans called dibs on Wiesbaden long before the war was over, largely because of its location along the Rhein and Main rivers. As with many places, the Americans chose well. Here you'll find bars, clubs, antique stores, restaurants, anybody who can afford the Taunusstraße.
We don't stop at the Taunusstraße, but continue toward the Nerotal park. The buildings around here are just as splendid, except that the area has become a little more residential. It's hard to overlook the apparent wealth that exists in Wiesbaden.
There will be more posts coming from Wiesbaden, it's just hard to ignore the city. Even though we had a little more than half a day this time around, we know that postponed is not necessarily abandoned.
All things considered, I prefer small towns, or small cities, depending on your definition. Bad Homburg, for example, is 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, but has everything you could possibly need. Würzburg has about 120,000 residents, but packs quite a punch for a small city. I noticed, especially the last time I was in Nürnberg at the Christmas Market, how little I will miss the city once it's time to move along, especially the crowds. Bad Homburg, for example, is not going to have the big opera house, the airport, or the stadium. But it's comforting to know that these things are close, in case you decide the semiannual trip to Mallorca becomes indispensable.
Enter a city like Wiesbaden. Now Wiesbaden is a fairly decent sized city with about 300,000 residents. Wiesbaden doesn't have a metro line, here it will be car, bus or foot. And yet, it's easily a five star city under the column of medium sized cities.
For one day, a holiday on a Monday, Liebi and I decide to pick and choose. The Schloß down by the Rhein will have to wait, although I would have loved to have seen that. Ditto for the cable car to take you up to the Neroberg. Again, these are first world problems. It's simply nice to have a city with a selection.
First, we stroll through the Kurpark, along with the Kurhaus. This is the convention center of the city, in addition to hosting a high stakes casino. Keep in mind that Wiesbaden was traditionally known as a wellness resort, dozens of hot springs were discovered here. The name of the city itself means 'meadow baths'. Although the Kurhaus itself now has different functions, the building itself is still gorgeous to look at with its neo-classical style. Embellishing the building is the park with its fountains and gargantuan trees. We are already picturing this place during spring or summer.
From the Kurpark, we make our way into the city center, where we pass the neo-Gothic Marktkirche, built in the mid 19th century, a toddler by Germany's medieval standards. Looking at it more closely, I notice it's all brick. Sadly, the church is actually closed on a Monday. Why is a church closed? Closed for what? Business? So be it, we have other places to go.
Once we make our way through the pedestrian zone and enjoy our lunch, it's time to check out the much heralded Taunusstraße, one of the premier shopping streets in Germany. Although Liebi and I don't mind shopping, it's really the buildings we can't stop staring at. Here we're talking art noveau and belle epoque, constructed at the end of the 19th century. Wiesbaden was fortunate in that it was largely spared during the war. Some say the Americans called dibs on Wiesbaden long before the war was over, largely because of its location along the Rhein and Main rivers. As with many places, the Americans chose well. Here you'll find bars, clubs, antique stores, restaurants, anybody who can afford the Taunusstraße.
We don't stop at the Taunusstraße, but continue toward the Nerotal park. The buildings around here are just as splendid, except that the area has become a little more residential. It's hard to overlook the apparent wealth that exists in Wiesbaden.
There will be more posts coming from Wiesbaden, it's just hard to ignore the city. Even though we had a little more than half a day this time around, we know that postponed is not necessarily abandoned.
