In the city of Wiesbaden, the state capital of Hesse, central western Gemany

 "The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for." -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

=====================================================================
(in central western Germany) Lined with neoclassical buildings that were rebuilt after WWII, Wiesbaden, the state capital of Hesse, is one of Europe's oldest spa towns, with hot springs still flowing today. It is 40km (25 mi.) west of Frankfurt, across the Rhine from Mainz. Wiesbaden's name translates as "meadow baths," reflecting both its thermal baths and beautiful expanses of parkland. The city lies at the eastern edge of the Rheingau winegrowing region, which stretches along the Rhine's right (northern) bank west to the Rüdesheim area of the Romantic Rhine. The renowned Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky amassed huge debts at the city’s gambling tables in the 1860s, which inspired his masterpiece, The Gambler. (Home to the European headquarters of the US Army, Wiesbaden has a strong US military presence,)

+ Wiesbaden, the second-largest city in the state of Hesse after Frankfurt am Main (together with nearby Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt and Mainz), is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined population of about 5.8 million people. The city, which is internationally famous for its architecture and climate, is also called the "Nice of the North" in reference to the city in France. To the north of the city are the Taunus Mountains, which trend in a northeasterly direction. The city center (Stadtmitte), is located in the north-easternmost part of the Upper Rhine Valley at the spurs of the Taunus mountains, about five kilometres (~3 mi.) from the Rhine. The downtown area is drained only by the narrow valley of the Salzbach, a tributary of the Rhine.

+ The settlement here was known as a spa (Aquae Mattiacae) in Roman times. Its earthen fortifications were replaced by stone in 83 CE, and a Roman wall was built about 370. The settlement was made a free imperial city in 1241, passed to the counts of Nassau in 1255, and became the capital of the principality of Nassau-Usingen in 1744. It was capital of the duchy of Nassau from 1806 until 1866, when it passed to Prussia; it then became capital of the district of Wiesbaden in Hesse-Nassau province. In 1946 Wiesbaden became the capital of the newly created Land of Hesse and incorporated Kastel, Amöneburg, and Kostheim (former right-bank suburbs of Mainz).

+ Wiesbaden is a wine center, famous for its Sekt (German champagne). As a spa, Wiesbaden was famous in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was frequented by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johannes Brahms, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, as well as various royal families. Though the city has a long history, few examples of old architecture survive, most from the Victorian period: the new Town Hall, the Kaiser-Friedrich Baths, the Greek Chapel, and Biebrich Palace, which now houses the state administration offices. (The state theater opened as an opera house and playhouse in 1894.)