A reputed centre for the treatment of rheumatic and orthopaedic disorders, Wiesbaden is also a perfect destination for relaxation and wellness, with attractive opportunities offered at the modern Aukammtal thermal baths and the historic Kaiser-Friedrich-Terme, built upon the remains of old Aquae Mattiacorum.
There are records for human presence and use of the hot springs in Wiesbaden in Prehistoric times, but is not until the Romans that we have the first traces of a permanent settlement in the area, still visible today.
Around years 6 to 15 AD, Romans erected a border fort as a military base and soon the central location and the rich thermal springs gave rise to a civilian settlement and the development of spa culture.
The hot water gave the town its name: Aquae Mattiacorum β the springs of the Mattiaci tribe. Although the decline of the Roman Empire and the subsequent migration period caused a sharp drop for Aquae Mattiacorum , there are many indications that settlement continued during this period too. Kinsmen of the Franconian tribe settled in Wiesbaden, and they most probably kept using part of the still existing Roman spa facilities.
Einhard, the biographer of Charles the Great, provided the first written information about Wiesbaden after the Romans. In the 13th century, Wiesbaden was even the imperial city for a short time, but it was repeatedly destroyed in wars and by fires in the later centuries. At the begging of the 19th century Wiesbaden became the capital of the new duchy of Nassau and the town was systematically extended, soon developing into a classic spa towns which would rise to a world destination for treatment and cure.
