Why did the Romans develop Wiesbaden’s public baths but never live there, and what made Prussian royalty holiday in the town for months on end? On this walking tour, you’ll hear the fascinating stories behind this spa town and trace the footsteps of the aristocrats who made it their personal playground. The tour starts at the Bowling Green opposite the Kaiser-Friedrich-Denkmal Memorial. You’ll discover how Dostoevsky lost and regained a fortune at the Hotel Nassauer Hof’s famous gambling tables, and how a Prussian Kaiser transformed Wiesbaden into a world-renowned destination in the late 1800s. On your way to see Roman relics at the Roemertor and the Pagan wall, you’ll meet the larger-than-life green man statue, (25 Jahre Deutsche Einheit) which celebrates 25 years of German unity. The tour ends at Markplatz, where I’ll show you three examples of Wiesbaden’s unique architecture: the quaint medieval old town hall, the extravagant New Town Hall, and the Evangelical Market Church Wiesbaden with its chiming carillon bells. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to: •Sample medicinal mineral waters at three historic springs, the Kochbrunnen, the Baker’s well (Backerbrunnen), and the Schützenhofquelle spring •Explore the Goldgasse, Wiesbaden’s favourite dining street •Discover the surprising connection between the European Union, Friedrich Schiller (Germany’s most accomplished classical playwright), and the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden (the Hessian State Theater) •Stand where Kaiser Wilhelm laid a foundation stone at the Palast Hotel and learn about the city’s royal history •Visit Xocoatl, a chocolate lover’s paradise, and the traditional Café Maldaner •See the world’s largest cuckoo clock in Burgstrasse and learn its unique story During this 40-minute tour, you’ll begin to find that Wiesbaden is quite unlike other German towns and, once you’ve completed this tour, you’ll understand why! After the tour, you could try a glass of local apple wine at one of Markplatz’s many market traders’ stalls. And for the truly history-obsessed there is the free city museum (Stadtmuseum am Markt) which is set below ground within the old market storage vaults.