Wiesbaden is a spa town that kept its manners. Its hot springs, around two dozen of them, rise at the foot of the Taunus and were prized by the Romans, who called the settlement Aquae Mattiacorum. In the nineteenth century the dukes of Nassau and then the Prussians made it one of Europe's fashionable bathing resorts, and the grand white facades and the stately Kurhaus, with its colonnade and casino, still hint at the days when Dostoevsky lost his money here at roulette.
Today Wiesbaden is the capital of Hesse and a city of almost three hundred thousand, with all the traffic that implies. Its best-loved quirk is the Nerobergbahn, a funicular opened in 1888 that runs on water: the descending car is filled with water ballast and pulls the other one up, and it is still working. At the top, the Greek Chapel's golden domes shine over the vineyards and the whole Rhine-Main valley lies below. The Russian church, built for a duchess from the czar's family, is another surprise.
For riding, the city sits between two good landscapes. North, the Taunus rises in beech forest with winding roads toward the Platte and Idstein, a region of smooth surfaces and long, flowing bends that is popular at weekends. West, the Rheingau opens along the river, where Riesling vineyards cover the south-facing slopes and small wine villages like Eltville and Rüdesheim sit under castle ruins. The river road is slow and scenic but busy with tour coaches and cyclists on sunny days.
Come in autumn if you can: the grape harvest colours the hills, the new wine appears, and the weekday roads are quiet. Summers can be warm and hazy in the valley. Winter is mild but wet.
Fuel stations are everywhere, including along the Rhine road. City centre parking is expensive, so leave the bike in a garage at the edge. Order a glass of Riesling with Handkäse, the local sour-milk cheese, to understand why the locals are so fond of their region.